Former state rep candidate arrested at SJC commissioners court meeting

Terry Holcomb Sr. is arrested on Tuesday during a San Jacinto County Commissioners Court meeting. He is accused of disrupting a public meeting. Terry Holcomb Sr. is arrested on Tuesday during a San Jacinto County Commissioners Court meeting. He is accused of disrupting a public meeting. Photo: Jacob McAdams Photo: Jacob McAdams Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Former state rep candidate arrested at SJC commissioners court meeting 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Coldspring man who was defeated in the March primary in the race for State Representative District 18 was arrested Tuesday, Oct. 14, toward the end of a San Jacinto County Commissioners Court meeting at the county courthouse.

Terry Holcomb Sr., pastor of Huntsville-based Crossroads Baptist Church and president of the San Jacinto County Republican Club, is accused of disrupting the meeting because he was not allowed to make public comments as the regular portion of the meeting was adjourned for an executive session.

“We’re not gonna allow public comments today?” Holcomb said to the four county commissioners and County Judge Fritz Faulkner.

“It’s not on the agenda,” Faulkner replied.

“That’s unacceptable,” Holcomb said.

Faulkner then told Holcomb he could “go outside and discuss it,” but the meeting was moving forward with an executive session.

Saying again that the situation was “unacceptable,” Holcomb accused the court of taking the rights of the people.

When Holcomb made no effort to leave the courtroom, Faulkner said to him, “You’re dangerously close to disrupting a public meeting.”

Holcomb told the judge that he was denying the people their right to have their voice heard.

Faulkner responded by saying, “You can go out there and talk to the people. We’re fixing to have executive session.”

Still seated in his chair, Holcomb said, “You didn’t want to hear from the citizens and you’re gonna hear from them. You are gonna hear from me. You are not going to silence us by your abuse.”

At that point, Faulkner called for Pct. 2 Constable Roy Pippin Jr. to remove Holcomb from the meeting chamber.

“You have been requested to remove from the court,” Pippin told Holcomb.

“I am not leaving. I am not leaving,” he replied.

Directing his comments to commissioners, Holcomb then said, “And y’all commissioners that are allowing this, you are all cowards. All of you.”

Pippin implored Holcomb to leave the room but Holcomb remained in his chair and demanded to know what law he had broken.

“No law is broken. You were given an order to remove from court,” said Pippin, adding moments later, “By not following my order, you are resisting arrest. Do you want to go to jail for resisting arrest?”

Faulkner told Holcomb that commissioners court meetings are not a political stomping ground.

“That’s all you want to do,” he said.

Outside of the courtroom, Holcomb was confronted by Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Sowell who asked to have a “private word” with him.

Holcomb asked if he was being detained and Sowell replied, “You’re about to be,” prompting Holcomb to ask if he had committed a crime.

“I didn’t say you committed a crime,” said Sowell.

Sowell placed Holcomb in handcuffs and escorted him away from the premises.

According to Pct. 1 Commissioner Ray McCoppin, Holcomb filed a written request to make public comments at the meeting. However, comments were not included in the agenda.

Faulkner, by phone Tuesday night, said comments were left off due to an already lengthy agenda. He added that public comments right before an election also tend to be problematic since people are known to use the comments portion of a meeting to make political attacks on candidates running for office.

Faulkner, the Democratic incumbent county judge, is defending his position against Republican challenger John Lovett in the November general election.

Allowing comments during commissioners court meetings is not required by law, but is a good practice whenever possible, according to Liberty County Judge Craig McNair. In Liberty County Commissioners Court meetings, the only comments allowed are those that relate to agenda items; all other comments are denied. In Holcomb’s case, he was intending to speak about something that was not on the agenda.

“Some counties don't do public comments. This is a decision set up by each county on how they want to do it,” said McNair. “Unless it's on the agenda, you can't make comments out of the blue. They have to address the item on the agenda and you have to stick to that subject.”

After Holcomb’s arrest, members of the San Jacinto County Republican Party expressed their frustrations about what transpired.

“There was no reason [for it],” said San Jacinto County Party Chairman Dwayne Wright. “That’s what activates people like myself. That’s what activates people like Terry Holcomb.”

Wright explained that Holcomb specifically wanted to address a resolution regarding the housing of illegal immigrants, which was decided against last month. The resolution was not an item on the agenda at the Oct. 14 meeting.

“He was upset that [the] resolution he put forth was not dealt with,” said Wright. “The judge prepared and substituted his own version [that] wasn’t even close to [Holcomb’s] version.

Not long before the start of the commissioners court meeting, Holcomb posted on Facebook that he was “fixing to challenge the county judge on his unconstitutional silencing of the people's first amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Cell phone videos that have since been posted on YouTube suggest that Holcomb’s supporters were aware of his plans to challenge commissioners court since the cameras began to record at the moment he began to speak.

To view the videos from the commissioners court incident, go online to https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O5vuNb3lDiQ and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk40pSrZPyphso9CXsxnNYQ.

The Oct. 14 incident was not Holcomb’s first arrest. On Sept. 13, 2013, he was arrested on the grounds of the state capitol by state troopers who reportedly were concerned about Holcomb’s 1858 Remington black powder revolver, which he was carrying in a holster.

The charges of disorderly conduct were later dropped.

Holcomb, an advocate for Open Carry Texas, also caused a stir in Huntville in August 2013 when he walked into a Walmart store with an assault rifle slung over a shoulder while his supporters captured the whole incident on cell phone video. The video is posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzw8jW0aCys

Holcomb was released from the San Jacinto County Jail the day after his incarceration. The charge against him is still pending.