County Judge Posts Critic's SSN on Facebook!
24 hours after his critic published court records, the judge published his Social Security number!
Midland County Judge Terry Johnson is facing serious heat and possible criminal exposure after he posted the full social security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number of a local citizen he was having online beef with. Screenshots of the since-deleted post were reviewed by Current Revolt.
Christino Rodriquez, known online as “Nino America,” had recently published federal court records involving two lawsuits against Midland County: one still pending, and one that ended in a $150,000 settlement with a former county employee who alleged retaliation under Johnson’s supervision. Less than 24 hours later, Judge Johnson posted an old warrant containing Nino’s full name, social security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number on his personal Facebook page with the caption “Convicted felon trying to be a player”:
In the screenshot reviewed by Current Revolt, someone took the time to black out Nino's address and phone number, then posted his SSN and driver's license number anyway. Essentially an identity theft starter kit.
The warrant, according to Nino, stems from an incident in 2015 where he was arrested but the charges, he tells CR, were later dismissed. That creates a scandal within a scandal: Nino was never convicted in that case. A judge should know the difference between an arrest and a conviction, nevertheless this one branded a citizen a "convicted felon.”
It also raises the question Johnson should have to answer on the record: where does one get an unredacted warrant? Clerks typically redact Social Security numbers from copies they release to the public. Somebody with access pulled this document, and it surfaced on the personal Facebook page of the county's top executive in the middle of his personal feud. Big yikes.
Other’s on Johnson’s Facebook even warned Johnson that posting Nino’s full information was an issue:
Those commenters saw the post live before it was taken down. These are what some people call “witnesses,” if anyone with a badge ever gets curious.
Midland ISD Board member Brandon Hodges put out a statement on Facebook drawing attention to the issue and calling for Johnson to resign immediately:
Current Revolt reached out to Nino for comment and he provided the following:
I never imagined a county judge would publicly expose my private information, but this did not happen in a vacuum. For months, Terry Johnson has posted what I believe are false and defamatory attacks against me.
When I learned that he had shared sensitive information, including my Social Security number, driver’s license number and other personal details, I decided enough was enough.
The timing is deeply troubling. I had just published legally obtained federal court records involving two lawsuits against Midland County. One case remains pending, while another ended in a $150,000 settlement with a former employee who alleged retaliation under Johnson’s supervision. Less than 24 hours later, my private information was posted publicly.
This looks like retaliation, and it appears to fit a disturbing pattern.
People do not have to like me or agree with my reporting. But if a powerful government official can use private records against someone who criticizes him, it can happen to anybody.
We are demanding a full investigation and accountability. What happened was reckless, unacceptable and, I believe, unlawful. Sadly, the kind of government abuse we often hear about across the country may now be happening right here in West Texas.
- Nino America
Given the potential malicious intent and private information that was published, several Texas laws may have been broken including:
Texas Penal Code §39.03 (Official Oppression): written for exactly this scenario, a public servant who misuses the power or information of his office against someone. Class A misdemeanor.
Texas Penal Code §32.51 (Fraudulent Use or Possession of Identifying Information): “identifying information” explicitly includes Social Security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number. Obtaining, possessing, or transferring it without consent with intent to harm is a felony, scaled by the number of items. (Johnson posted at least three lol.)
Johnson would later delete the Facebook post with Nino’s information. The warrant, the caption, and the redactions are preserved in screenshots. Hopefully the scammers don’t get Nino’s info.
Current Revolt reached out to Judge Terry Johnson for comment, but no reply was received in time for publishing.
The 2015 incident was when I was illegaly arrested for preaching on a public sidewalk in Midland Texas. Clear violation of my constitutional rights. Of course that was dismissed. This town is full of corrupt leaders. It's quite obvious.
That's insane! This judge needs to be locked up.