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This is an open letter to District Judge Thomas West regarding his decision to accept

last week. I would ask Judge West to explain why he decided to allow a man charged with second-degree felony sexual assault and Class A misdemeanor assault family violence to plea to reduced Class A misdemeanor charges of unlawful restraint and assault family violence, and to be placed on deferred misdemeanor probation for two years. Walker was also fined $4,000 and must spend 120 days in county jail as a condition of his probation.

Tell me, judge, do you understand what sexual assault means? Walker should have gone to prison for a minimum of two years or a maximum of 20, and/or been fined up to $10,000, according to the Texas Penal Code. The victim went to Walker’s home to pick up her children from a visit with their father, according to the probable cause statement. The children were locked in a bedroom and the woman was sexually assaulted following a disagreement about custody. The victim tried to call for help, and a friend heard the sexual assault from the phone. The children were terrified as they heard the entire thing unfold, according to the statement, and continue to suffer anxiety from the event.

Judge West, do you have a clue what a rape victim must endure? A Waco police detective investigated this case and was able to make a solid case because Walker was indicted for felony sexual assault in 2017. While some want to place blame on the district attorney, you had the choice to reject the plea deal. Instead, you chose to let this man remain on the streets and sent a message to his victim and children: “Judge Thomas West doesn’t care about evidence in cases, the safety of the people in the district he serves or justice for victims.”

I, for one, challenge you to offer an explanation. I also remind you that I vote and look forward to voting you out of your seat, as you appear to be part of the crime problem, rather than the solution.

The local Tax Increment Financing Zone board recommended $2.3 million to be paid to Rad Lab of San Diego, California for building out the 50-plus shipping containers formerly known as The Containery. These deteriorating containers located in downtown Waco are a failed development financed by a local bank.

Philip Auchettl, CEO of RadLab, said in a July 15 Trib article essentially that shipping containers are designed to be shipping containers and not permanent buildings. He said each hole in a container further weakens it and, in essence, their functionality in this use is as a façade. He noted other problems as well. The inference is the shipping containers make the work of engineering and developing a building more difficult and expensive than if they were not used.

I am wondering why the TIF board would recommend over two million dollars to be spent on a money pit? Clearly the bank that funded the failed Containery project made a financial mistake. Can the TIF board responsibly spend taxpayer money for a project inherent with multiple costly problems from the start? I don’t think so.

If the TIF board wants to spend taxpayer money to haul off the containers so they can be used as storage sheds somewhere, that would make sense. It would be a beneficial improvement to make way for a well-designed building at that location. I hope the city council does not approve this misdirected use of a whole lot of money.

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