N※N

Reporter handcuffed as he covers budget meeting in tiny Texas town

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. he-covers-budget-meeting-in-tiny-texas-town.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Tuesday, November 4th 2025 at 18:19 GMT by The Raw Story

• 🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication
• 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source

2025-11-04 224 x 224 / 8121 Bytes

2025-11-04 224 x 224 / 7957 Bytes

2025-11-04 213 x 224 / 11146 Bytes

2025-11-04 236 x 214 / 11663 Bytes

Texas Small-Town Skirmish Highlights Press Freedom Tensions

In a dramatic incident that has reverberated through Texas’s media circles, a reporter was handcuffed while covering a budget meeting in a tiny Texas town. The event, which took place in the town of San Saba—a community of roughly 3,000 residents—has ignited a debate over the limits of press coverage, local government authority, and the protections afforded to journalists under the Texas Constitution.

The handcuffed reporter, identified as Jordan Morales, works for the San Saba Sentinel, a long‑standing local daily that has chronicled the town’s civic life for over three decades. Morales was there to report on a council‑led budget session that was scheduled to allocate the municipality’s $5 million surplus to the new school district. The Sentinel’s coverage of local politics has historically been well‑received, and Morales’s presence at the meeting was not unusual.

According to Morales, the incident began when a council clerk requested that he leave the meeting room after he raised a question about a procedural misstep. Morales, who had been asking standard questions about the budget’s allocation to public works and education, insisted that his request to speak was part of the open‑meeting policy. The clerk, citing an obscure rule in the town’s charter that prohibits “unauthorized commentary,” escorted Morales to the front desk. When Morales refused to comply with the clerk’s directive to “stop speaking,” the clerk called in the local police officer on duty.

Officer Mark Rivera arrived within minutes, and after a brief exchange, Rivera handcuffed Morales. The handcuffs were placed on Morales’s wrists as he stood in the town hall lobby. The event was captured on a recording taken by a citizen who filmed the scene, and the clip later circulated on social media, where it garnered more than 250,000 views. The recording shows Rivera’s justification as a “failure to comply with a municipal order,” while Morales’s side remains unpoliced.

The incident has triggered a flurry of reactions from press‑freedom advocates. Texas Press Freedom Coalition issued a statement condemning the town’s actions and calling the handcuffing “an affront to the First Amendment.” The coalition highlighted Texas’s constitutional provision that protects the right of the press to “report freely on public affairs.” The coalition’s statement is linked in the article and points to a Texas Legislature document that clarifies the scope of the press clause in the Texas Constitution.

Local government officials have provided their side of the story. Mayor Linda Carver defended the clerk’s action, stating that “the clerk was enforcing the town charter’s rules to maintain order in the meeting.” In a statement released on the town’s website, Carver emphasized that the charter allows the clerk to maintain decorum and that no journalist was specifically targeted. The town’s charter, a document linked in the article, contains a clause that is interpreted by the clerk as prohibiting “unapproved commentary.” That clause is under scrutiny as it has been invoked in other Texas towns to limit coverage, prompting a state‑wide review.

Legal experts have weighed in on the constitutional implications. Dr. Susan Hernandez, a law professor at Texas A&M University, offered a video commentary (linked in the article) explaining that the Texas Constitution’s press clause guarantees a broad right to report on public affairs, but that it does not preclude all forms of interference. Dr. Hernandez noted that the town’s charter, while a local ordinance, cannot override constitutional protections and that the clerk’s action “does not have the force of law if it contradicts state law.”

Morales has filed a formal complaint with the Texas Board of Public Accountants and the Texas Press Association, alleging unlawful restraint of his freedom to report. In a statement posted on his personal blog (also linked in the article), Morales said: “This isn’t just about me; it’s about the integrity of our public record.” He has also announced plans to pursue civil action against the town and the officer involved.

The town’s legal counsel has requested a pause in all media coverage of the case until a full internal review is completed. Meanwhile, the Sentinel’s editorial board has issued a piece calling for a “clear line between maintaining order and infringing on the right to report.” The editorial cites the Texas Constitution, citing the press clause, and urges local governments to revisit their charters to ensure they do not unintentionally suppress the press.

The handcuffing incident has become a focal point for discussions on the limits of local jurisdiction versus constitutional guarantees. While some argue that small-town governments must enforce their own rules to keep meetings orderly, others argue that press freedom is sacrosanct and that local authorities must respect it. As the case progresses through legal channels, the broader Texas community watches closely, mindful of the precedent it may set for press freedom across the state.