Complaint Review: Justice System - Gatesville Texas

In this little town of Gatesville, it is time for voices to be heard, and whether we stand alone or have many that will stand up with us and fight for justice the stories need to be told.

The problem in this town is the alcohol and drugs are running rampant. We actually are one of the worst Counties in the surrounding areas of Texas. It all depends on who you are on what consequences you will suffer. Many of the kids are forwarned and let go.

The whole reason I am writing this, is because my son is one of the ones trapped in the system here. He has been for about 3 years. He is not a bad kid, just has emotional hurts that he cannot get rid of. He also used alcohol and drugs to cover the pain.

On February 11, 2000, there was a party and he stumbled, but got back up again and went on. He was asked to submit to a U/A at the probation department on the 14the of February 2000. He passed it and we were allowed to leave the Courthouse. We went back up at around 3:15 for his Court hearing. We were told at that time that the U/A was inconclusive. The Assistant DA has been hard and heavy on my son, but it's not only my son, there are several other kids that he has a vendetta against. So much so that even though he prosecutes Felony cases, he has prosecuted the misdemeanor cases on my son. Anyway, the Asst. DA. comes downstairs and says the U/A is inconclusive, then goes back up and runs back down and says it was positive for alcohol. We were allowed to leave the Courthouse and have another one done by a professional. This one came out negative too. However, the very next morning my son was arrested and spent 9 days in jail.

Mr. Mackey was not finished yet. Mad because he had lost his case due to my sons emotional state and scars, he starts questioning other kids ages 15-17 and grants them immunity to testify against my son. The ones on probation are threatened that their probation will be revoked if they do not cooperate. So he puts these kids on the witness stand and they testify against Ryan. In order for that man to win one conviction, he turns those kids back into the world with an okay to drink and drug!! Now, in a town that is known for the alcoholism and drug addiction, tell me what this man has done is right!

This is only the tip of the iceburg on the injustices to many kids. In fact the kids in this town are harrassed so much by the Police on Friday and Saturday nights that the adults that have been visiting Beer joints have a clear way home. They have no worries about being arrested for DWI's because the Police are too busy conducting searches on the teenagers cars that the adults just slip on by.

There have been several teenagers that have also been accused of assault with a deadly weapon on a Peace Officer. The deadly weapon was their car, and the Peace Officer seems to be the same one in the instances that I know of.

The kids in this town are judged instead of helped with their problems. Then they have the nerve to ask us what kind of parents we are. There are not just a few people of the Court System involved here either, there are Judges, Police Officers and Sheriff Deputies. Many of them deal in lies and scare tacticts to get these kids to confess to something most of them did not do. Since when did the Probation Department become a place where there is no help for those lost and undone? It used to be that those on probation were helped because with an addiction relapse is inevitable.

My husband and I are unhappy with the turn of events in this County, and we believe that Mr. Mackey and Judge Stephens have a vendetta against our son. We have written many entities to get help, but have not had responses to our letters. Maybe this is the next best thing.

Hopefully, with this letter, more voices will be heard. I know we are not the only ones in this County that see what injustice and lies can do.