On Sunday, November 30, 2025, The Dallas Express reported that felony witness tampering charges against Rains County Justice of the Peace Robert Jenkins Franklin have been dropped due to a lack of credible witnesses, according to the prosecution. The charges stemmed from two separate incidents that led to Franklin’s indictment on two misdemeanor counts of official oppression and two felony counts of tampering with a witness.

The initial incident occurred in October 2023, when Franklin allegedly threatened defendant Coby Wiebe, who was accused of unlawfully disclosing intimate photographs. According to reports, Franklin told Wiebe, “you take that deal, boy, or dead men can’t testify.” Wiebe subsequently accepted a plea deal. However, the 8th District Court later dismissed the case in April after learning of the alleged threats.

A separate incident in February involved allegations that Franklin coerced his chief clerk, Jennifer Patterson, into signing a false affidavit. Following these allegations, Franklin was arrested and subsequently released on bond. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) then suspended him from his position without pay, as the commission is responsible for investigating allegations of this kind.

The case took another turn in June when a grand jury indicted former Rains County Judge Linda Wallace, 72, for allegedly coercing Patterson, described as “a prospective witness” in the criminal case against Franklin. The indictment specified that Wallace pressured Patterson in her capacity as Patterson’s supervisor, intending to influence her to withhold testimony in the official proceeding. Wallace was charged with a single felony count of witness tampering, arrested, and also suspended without pay by the SCJC in July, although reports indicate she had already retired from the bench on June 12.

Both Judges Franklin and Wallace were expected to enter guilty pleas on October 31, but the hearings were canceled by agreement of the attorneys and were to be rescheduled for November 21, 2025. On that date, Van Zandt County District Attorney Tonda Curry, who is prosecuting both judges, dismissed the felony charges against Judge Franklin, citing a lack of evidence. Curry stated that the charges “could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt” due to the lack of credibility of key witnesses.

In exchange for the dismissal of the felony charges, Franklin pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct for displaying a firearm, which stemmed from a 2023 photo of him wielding an AR-15 in his courthouse office.

Wallace was offered a plea deal involving community service in exchange for the dismissal of her case, but she rejected it, maintaining her innocence.

Despite the dismissal of the felony charges, Franklin remains suspended due to the pending misdemeanor charge of official oppression.

 

 

Source: The Dallas Express