The consequences of a questionable DUI charge against Thomas, a former firefighter, have been devastating.
“The fire department was my family. I didn’t want to lose them, and I definitely didn’t want it to end this way,” Thomas (who does not want to use his last name out of fear of retaliation) told TRNN, explaining how the since-dropped allegations that he was driving under the influence cost him his nearly 30-year career.
Along with losing his job, Thomas spent thousands of dollars on attorney fees, and was spurned by friends. All over charges that, as a Police Accountability Report investigation revealed, were levied against Thomas even though police were caught on body camera admitting he was not drunk.
But now new developments in Thomas’ case are raising questions about the Denton County sheriff who charged him.
PAR has learned that the Denton County District Attorney which would be responsible for trying the case, has no record of it—no blood tests, statement of probable cause, or documents pertaining to the charges. In fact, a spokesperson for the agency that prosecutes cases in Denton County said that, for them, the case simply does not exist.
“We did not receive any documentation from the DCSO (Denton County Sheriff’s Office) regarding this case,” Kim Geuter, an administrator with the Denton prosecutor’s office, told PAR in an email.
“We would have no way of keeping track. The only reason I knew this was not submitted to us is because I looked it up specifically. Police agencies do not notify us when they have not submitted a report to us,” she added.
Along with losing his job, Thomas spent thousands of dollars on attorney fees, and was spurned by friends. All over charges that, as a Police Accountability Report investigation revealed, were levied against Thomas even though police were caught on body camera admitting he was not drunk.
The fact that the DCSO, which initiated these devastating charges against Thomas, did not turn said charges over to prosecutors raises troubling questions about how cases are adjudicated in Denton County.
Normally, charges filed by a sheriff or police officer are submitted to a prosecutor for review in the jurisdiction where the arrest was made—in this case, Denton County. Eventually, the charges go before a judge to determine whether or not the prosecutors have sufficient legal grounding to proceed. But Thomas says that, other than a preliminary bail hearing, he never had a day in court to contest the allegations against him.
“The only appearance I made was at the jail before they let me go. They brought a bunch of us into a courtroom and read the charges,” Thomas said.
The Denton County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls for comment.
PAR has since filed a public records request with the DCSO for the number of DUI cases initiated by the department; in order to determine the number of cases initiated by Denton sheriffs which have not been turned over to prosecutors.
Even though this two-year-old case never found its way to a courthouse, the impact it has had on Thomas’ life in that timespan has been devastating. The charges spurred an internal affairs case against Thomas inside the fire department where he had served for nearly three decades.
That probe led to Thomas’ departure from his job. But that was only one part of the ordeal he faced after he was charged.
He was hauled off to jail and forced to fork over $1,000 for bail. His dog was handed over to animal control. His movements were restricted by bail bondsmen while his father lay on his deathbed. He had to hire a lawyer—another $3,400. And then, the aforementioned internal investigation led to his separation from a fire department to which he had devoted a lifetime of service.
“It’s hard because they look at you differently. People think you must have done something wrong to get arrested,” Thomas said. ”But I haven’t had a drink in 30 years!”
Thomas’ arrest was caught on a body camera. Three Denton deputy sheriffs audibly admitted on the recorded video that he was not drunk or otherwise impaired by alcohol. Instead, they based their charges on his “slow talking,” his “heavy-footed” gait, and his lack of balance during a field sobriety test.
“I was stone sober and they turned my life upside down… It’s a good thing to catch drunk drivers, but it’s just not right to turn innocent people into criminals.”
Thomas, former texas firefighter arrested by Denton County sheriffs on false dui charges
However, Thomas had a tumor, a neuroma, only recently removed from his left ear, which affected his balance. Moreover, Thomas freely admitted to the sheriffs he had taken his legally prescribed medication, Adderall, to treat adult attention deficit disorder—a medication that was prescribed to almost 41 million people in 2021, according to NBC News.
He was shocked that being forthcoming with officers about his medical conditions, and in particular about his ADHD medication, was the beginning of the downward turn in the interaction.
“I explained my right eye was bloodshot from my detached retina, it was why I was on light duty at the [fire] department. They asked me if I took any prescription medications so I told them about my ADHD meds… the Adderall. I think from that point the questions became more intense.”
The charges against Thomas weren’t resolved, his lawyer simply told him they were dropped.
But even though the DUI was effectively dismissed, his life has been fundamentally changed.
“I think I should practice the field sobriety test every time I leave the house now,” Thomas said halfheartedly. “I was stone sober and they turned my life upside down… It’s a good thing to catch drunk drivers, but it’s just not right to turn innocent people into criminals.”
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