Jennifer Combs, a self-described independent journalist, lives in Kerens, Texas, about an hour and a half southeast of Dallas. In April, 2026 after hearing information from citizens of Trinidad (a city a few miles away) about the quality and color of their water, Jennifer asked people to share information about the City of Trinidad’s water supply. Jennifer created a Facebook page where citizens could post information about the Trinidad water supply.
Jennifer is a concerned citizen who was trying to help people, by accumulating information regarding Trinidad’s water supply and sharing her and others’ thoughts and comments. Jennifer’s statements were based on citizens’ responses and reports for the water supply, along with other public information.
On May 8, 2026 Jennifer was arrested on a felony charge of making a false alarm or report. This crime she was charged with is meant to punish someone who knowingly files a false report of an emergency like a fire or an explosion. Jennifer spent 23 hours in jail, waiting for bail to be set. Her felony charge was later presented to a grand jury, who thankfully and correctly recognized she was not guilty of a crime. Obviously, it is not a crime to express public concern about the quality of a local water supply.
Jennifer’s First Amendment rights were not only threatened, but they were squashed. Efforts like this to suppress free speech and retaliate against citizens, even if it by a small, local government, cannot stand. We applaud Jennifer for speaking out and searching for the truth.
