Jones Pleads Guilty in Public Information Case

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT — Crockett City Councilman Darrell Jones pleaded guilty Friday, Aug. 14, to a felony charge of misuse of public information and a misdemeanor charge of failure or refusal to provide public information, bringing an end to a case that began with a dispute over public records nearly two years ago.

According to Houston County District Attorney Daphne Session, Jones received five years of probation on the felony charge and two years of probation on the misdemeanor. As part of the agreement, Jones must also write a letter of apology to the City of Crockett for his actions.

The case began in the summer of 2024, after Wayne Dolcefino filed a complaint with county officials regarding requests for public records from Jones. Dolcefino’s requests were made through Dolcefino Consulting, a Houston-based investigative organization.

According to the indictment later issued by a Houston County grand jury, Jones was accused of failing or refusing to provide access to, or allow the copying of, public information. The indictment alleged that Jones acted with criminal negligence in his role as an officer for public information or the officer’s agent.

The charge was classified as a misdemeanor and was considered official misconduct. At the time of the indictment, the charge carried a possible punishment of up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in county jail.

The dispute involved records Jones had access to as an elected city official. The original Messenger report stated that Jones had sent city officials a letter saying he would not comply with requests for his “private records.”

The indictment alleged that Jones’ position as a public official did not allow him to withhold public information simply by describing the records as private. The grand jury alleged that he had a responsibility to provide records subject to the Texas Public Information Act in a timely manner.

The second charge was a felony involving the alleged misuse of information that had not been made public.

According to that indictment, Jones, “as a public servant, namely a Crockett City Council member,” disclosed information to Greg Ritchie for a nongovernmental purpose. The information identified in the indictment was a nonpublic letter of intent connected to a potential economic development case known as Project Atticus.

The indictment alleged that Jones had access to the information because of his public office and that he disclosed it with the intent to harm or defraud another person. The felony charge carried a possible punishment ranging from two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, although probation was also among the possible outcomes depending on the circumstances of the case.

The Messenger became involved in the legal process because of its communications with Jones.

As previously reported, the newspaper received a grand jury subpoena requesting records and information about communications between Jones and Ritchie. The Messenger initially declined to turn over the requested information, citing established legal protections involving news sources and journalistic methods.

After recognizing that a crime may have been committed and not wanting to interfere with the investigation, the newspaper later provided authorities with information about certain communications. The original report stated that the information apparently contributed to the grand jury’s determination that some information should not have been sent by Jones.

Because the matter involved pending litigation and an active criminal investigation, The Messenger did not publish every detail of the dispute in our initial story, with concerns that revealing additional information could have harmed or assisted one side or the other in related legal proceedings.

Jones reportedly learned about the indictments while he was out of state. He agreed to return to Houston County and turned himself in to the Houston County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.

He was processed and released after posting a combined $7,500 bond on the two charges.

At the time, Jones had not publicly commented on the indictments. No trial date had been set, and the outcome of the case remained unresolved. As with every criminal defendant, Jones was presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Friday’s guilty plea changed that status and resolved the criminal case without a trial.

Under the terms announced by Session, Jones will remain on probation for five years on the felony conviction and two years on the misdemeanor conviction. The required apology letter to the city is an additional condition of the agreement.

The conviction also affects Jones’ future in public office.

Under Texas law, a person finally convicted of a felony is not eligible to become a candidate for public elective office unless the person has been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities. The Texas Secretary of State’s office states that completing probation or another criminal sentence does not automatically restore eligibility to run for office.

Because of the felony conviction, Jones will not be eligible to seek elected office under current Texas law, absent a pardon or other legal release from those disabilities.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]