On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, FOX 4 reported that Rains County Judge Linda Wallace was indicted on felony witness tampering charges following a grand jury decision. Rains County, located 70 miles east of Dallas with a population of 12,000, has been shaken by the allegations against Wallace, who oversees the county’s commissioners’ court and misdemeanor cases.
The indictment alleges that Wallace attempted to coerce a clerk into withholding testimony in a case linked to Justice of the Peace Robert Jenkins Franklin, her superior. Franklin himself faced charges in May 2025 for official oppression and witness tampering, accused of making a death threat to pressure a felony suspect into accepting a plea deal and attempting to persuade his chief clerk to falsify an affidavit. The clerk allegedly targeted by Wallace is the same individual involved in Franklin’s case.
If convicted, Wallace could face 2 to 10 years in prison, though Special Prosecutor Tonda Curry noted that probation is possible for those without prior felony convictions.
Curry, the Van Zandt County District Attorney, was appointed special prosecutor after Rains County prosecutors recused themselves to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Wallace was booked into jail on Wednesday morning but was released on bond within 20 minutes. When contacted by FOX 4, Wallace declined to comment. Curry stated that no additional indictments related to Wallace are anticipated.
Court records obtained by FOX 4 reveal that Wallace recused herself from a case in April 2025 after prosecutors raised concerns about her impartiality. The concerns stemmed from her refusal to approve a woman’s plea deal for driving while intoxicated, reportedly because a similar deal was not offered to Franklin during his own DWI case the previous year.
Despite resigning, Wallace remains the acting county judge until a replacement is appointed, as per Texas law. Franklin, meanwhile, is currently suspended from his position.
Source: FOX 4
