Clay Got COVID19 and his political foes wasted no time attacking him.
In a statement released Tuesday, Dallas County Judge said he tested for COVID19.
Political opponents like Barry Wernick came out immediately to wish Jenkins well. They also hoped he would take his own medicine and isolate.
Clay Got COVID19 – Ignoring Own Warnings
Four sources confirmed that Jenkins most recent routine did not include masks or social distancing.
Several of those sources believe Jenkins was isolating before the diagnosis given his recent work habits.
The same sources say Jenkins wanted to run for Governor. They say he has no fire to be Dallas County Judge anymore.
One county staffer said, “he is going through the motions, but isn’t there mentally anymore.”
COVID19 Stats
Cases are on the rise again though down from last year. Dallas County is currently on an “Extreme Caution” warning level.
At this time last year, Dallas County was exeriencing its highest infection rate totals since February 2021. In early August 2021, Dallas was experiencing 700 new cases per day. We are just over half that number now.
Andrew Sommerman sinks supporters in a number of emails released to Facebook by community activist Avi Adelman.
After the March 1 Democratic primary vote, Philip Kingston announced his endorsement of Andrew Sommerman.
Sommerman seeks the endorsement of individuals in public and then trashes them in private.
The move was a surprise to many, but for some activists, a bridge too far and it appears the benefactor of Kingston’s decision thinks it is bad too.
In an email to Avi Adelman, the Sommerman campaign called Kingston “offensive and a bad actor…” in the public sphere.
The campaign which appears to be seeking Adelman’s endorsement then goes on to send a message to its team about Adelman calling him a “loud person.” Unfortunately for the campaign, the private message made its way to Adelma who published it.
If Andrew Sommerman will attack his own supporters, do you think he cares about individual voters?
Sommerman, a local personal injury lawyer, said he chose to run for the County Commission 2 seat because “he doesn’t want political theater to drive public health policymaking.”
But he later won the Dallas Morning News primary endorsement on a platform of arguing for criminals to be released into the community to lower jail costs despite a long recent history of Dallas criminal judges lowering bail to allow dangerous defendants to be out on bond and Dallas police unable or unwilling to respond to local crime.
It is unclear based on Sommerman’s private conversations what he believes.
Adelman’s emails show Sommerman seeks the endorsement of individuals in public and then trashes them in private.
This endorsement controversy makes some Democrats nervous about the newly gerrymandered seat.
One local community person said, “I’ve talked to a dozen people like Avi – people who work the polls, precinct chairs, donors – and they all say the same thing. They will vote for JJ Koch in November if Andrew Sommerman beats Michelle Ocker in May.”
“Sommerman is the worst kind of insider. He sells out his supporters without thinking about it as long as it advances Andrew Sommerman,” she continued. “He is also playing a good old boy club with he and Kingston and Tom Ervin lining up against Michelle [Ocker] who has held elective office and served constituents.”
Another unaffiliated campaign volunteer noted this shows how bad Democratic Party politics is right now.
“If Andrew Sommerman will attack his own supporters, do you think he cares about individual voters?”
In the other major Dallas race, endorsements continue to come in for Jane Hope Hamilton who is hoping to beat Jasmine Crockett in their runoff.
The Texas Commission on Jail Standards says Dallas jails fail again after its mid February visit said the localjail “fails to comply with minimum standards.”
It is the second consecutive year under Sheriff Marian Brown’s management that the jail failed its annual inspection.
Under Brown’s leadership, Dallas jails fail again and again not only the inmates they are provided custody over, but also their own employees, including Damon Finney. There is also an open investigation into how $600,000 was stolen from inmate accounts.
Her management has also led to low morale among remaining deputy sheriffs who say the low staffing levels inhibit their ability to monitor inmates according to state standards.
The Findings Of Why Dallas Jails Fail Again
Here are some of the inspection’s findings:
Genetaror tests not being performed to ensure backup in case of disaster conditions.
Inmates using K2 – a synthetic marijuana – that created fumes throughout the area.
Inspectors found forty doors that were inoperable either due to inmate destruction or lack of maintenance.
Laundry staff not exchanging clothing and washable items.
Suicidal inmates “were being incorrectly documented.”
Sheriff Brown and her staff must develop remediation plans to return to compliance and provide them to the jail inspectors.
Marian Brown and Dallas County Sheriff’s Office refused request for comment.
The report creates another avenue for Lauren Davis in her November match up against Clay Jenkins and his mismanagement of Dallas County.
The letter from the commission to Judge Jenkins and Sheriff Brown is here:
Damon Finney, a former Dallas jailer, was not protected by Sheriff Marian Brown when it came to exposure to COVID19 in Dallas jails. His widow wants to know why she is being denied a state death benefit for first responders.
Finney died August 14, 2021 after he was one of many county correctional deputies on mandatory sixteen hour overtime shifts at the height of the COVID19 pandemic.
Per a report in Dallas Observer, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office General Orders state that “any Dallas Sheriff’s Department employee…. Killed in the Line of Duty, will receive Full Honors Service,” which includes casket guards from the department, a detail of federal and state law enforcement officials standing guard, plus a spread of other ceremonial personnel honoring the fallen officer. None of this ever happened for Finney.
On June 14, 2021 the Texas Legislature passed a bill stating correctional officers were among the first responders included in Line of Duty death benefits for coronavirus. Family member benefits are included in the state legislative action.
Damon Finney Not Only Problem For Sheriff Brown
Marian Brown’s administration is accused of threatening her deputies.
Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown is rumored to be using her Jail Internal Affairs team to launch investigations into employees who would not work sixteen hour shifts. These assignments sometimes lasted for up to five consecutive days.
These threats against her own staff are only the start of Brown’s troubles.
In addition, Brown’s office is being sued by both jailers and inmates in a federal lawsuit over her administration of the jail during COVID19.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas, the lawsuit accuses Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown of neglecting to protect detainees from the virus, placing them at serious risk of infection or death.
Her office is also in the middle of an investigation into the loss of $600,000 in inmate commissary funds.
Brown is expected to face a primary opponent in 2024 when she is up for re-election.
Damon Finney Life
On October 6, 1970, Damon Keith Finney was born in Pontiac, Michigan to the proud parents of William and Mrs. L.T. Finney. He attended Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church where he accepted Christ at an early age.
He obtained his early years of education in the Pontiac School District. In 1988 he graduated and received his diploma from Pontiac Northern High School and furthered his education at Oakland Community College for an additional 2 years. Damon lived most of his life in Pontiac until he relocated to the Dallas Ft. Worth area in the mid 1990s.
After eleven years of love and friendship he married the love of his life, Tiffany Toussaint on July 9, 2021. Together they made Arlington, Texas their home until his passing.
Damon Finney gained several years of experience in the security industry which inspired his interest in the Correctional Department. In 2006 he began his employment for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department where he diligently served 15 years of service as a Detention Service Officer and made and influenced many lifelong friendships.
He often referred to his coworkers as his second family whom he fearlessly helped and assisted throughout his career.
Per an obituary Finney was a witty, fun loving, caring and compassionate individual with a big heart. He was a wonderful husband, father figure, brother-in-law, brother, and uncle. He was also a wonderful, father to our adopted companion “Spring”.
The obituary continues, Damon was a selfless person who put other’s needs before own and always provided an ear to those seeking advice. He enjoyed working out at the gym and loved traveling whether it was to the beach or his favorite place Las Vegas.
A “Dallas County gerrymander” per a court watcher. Dallas County Commissioners’ Court voted to gerrymander JJ Koch out of his seat and then heard comments about the vote afterward. Dr. Elba Garcia called the process “tainted” and was clearly unhappy with both process and result.
Dallas County Gerrymander
The gerrymander does not seem to extend to Constable or Justice of the Peace precincts. The map there was passed as Map A Revised.
Other Side Dallas will update with a finalized Commissioner’s Court map when available.
Chad West lashes out after he posted on Facebook that he was on the receiving end of “several calls and messages last night from neighbors who experienced 2, 3, 4 and even 6-hour waits at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center yesterday for their COVID19 vaccination appointments.”
Council Member West seemed dismayed at the Mayor, but the entire City Council has been acting as one observer noted “like a bunch of petulant children.”
This local political actist noted “if the Mayor and City Council had to rely on one another for mutual survival, they’d all be done six months ago. Every one of them is more interested in their memo or tweet to score political points than in listening and fixing problems and they are ignoring people with the experience to do help.”
Chad West Lashes Out – In Wrong Direction?
The angry Facebook post came the same day Dallas County reported 1,617 new COVID19 cases and a dozen deaths.
In late January, Dallas County Commissioner’s Court voted 3-0 with two abstentions to prioritize vaccine distribution to certain zip codes leaving black and brown citizens in other areas at the end of the line. An emergency meeting was required after the decision once the Texas Department of State Health Services reminded Dallas County of their obligations under their hub contract to serve everyone.
It was attacked by County Judge Clay Jenkins as potentially illegal and now Texas has agreed.
In a strongly worded email to Commissioners, Texas health officials said, “While we ask hub providers to ensure the vaccine reaches the hardest-hit areas and populations, solely vaccinating people who live in those areas is not in line with the agreement to be a hub provider,” wrote Imelda Garcia, an associate commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.
She continues, “If Dallas County is unable to meet these expectations, we will be forced to reduce the weekly vaccine allocation … and no longer consider it a hub provider.”
In addition to the state action at least two attorneys were preparing motions to stop the new vaccine rollout.
COVID19 Politics At 1500 Marilla
Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Johnson sent a terse memo to City Manager TC Broadnax regarding city vaccination rollout and individual council members seeking vaccine registration hubs.
The Mayor’s memo was immediately attacked as another COVID19 politics power grab by Adam Bazaldua in both personal posts and posts to the Other Side DallasFacebook group.
The two City Council colleagues have been described by another City Council member as “the two boys in the sandbox who can’t get along because neither gets enough attention” from their mother.
“They both just complain about the other and neither does his homework,” the source said.
Dallas County Commissioner’s Court recently authorized what amounts to COVID19 Discrimination in their vaccination distribution plan. Commissioners openly stated the decision was based on race in designating eleven zip codes to receive the vaccine on a priority basis.
On February 1, 2021 those eleven zip codes – 75149, 75150, 75210, 75211, 75215, 75216, 75217, 75227, 75228, 75241, and 75243 – will receive the vaccine. Persons outside those zip codes will not.
Judge Clay Jenkins stated this “will stop shots for everyone else for ‘foreseeable future’.”
The decision is based on data from Parkland Hospital and a new layer on top of existing prioritization. Parkland Hospital reported hundreds of tests stolen this summer due to poor security procedures prior to Dallas becoming a pandemic hot zone.
COVID19 Discrimination
Jenkins also said, “I’m sure we’ll hear from the state of Texas and every suburban city in Dallas County as well as parts of the city not in those 10 ZIP codes.”
