Coleman must pay newspaper, former editor for lawsuit gone awry

Former Polk County Assistant District Attorney Tommy Lamar Coleman must pay court costs and attorneys’ fees to Polk County Publishing Company (PCPC) and one of its former editors, effectively closing the book on the lawsuit he brought against them that was dismissed earlier this year by the Texas Supreme Court.

Judge Robert Hill Trapp, who serves as the Presiding Judge of the Second Administrative Judicial Region of Texas, heard the case as a visiting judge in the 258th Judicial District. Trapp entered his final judgement on June 25.

The order awards PCPC $27,399.50 in attorneys’ fees and Valerie Reddell, a former editor of the Polk County Enterprise, $64,967.50 in attorneys’ fees. PCPC did not seek sanctions, but Reddell did and was awarded $25,000. The order additionally denies all other relief sought by Coleman against PCPC and the former editor.

In June 2020, the Polk County Enterprise ran a story, written by Reddell, criticizing Coleman. Most of the article criticized the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, where Coleman previously worked, for its involvement in the infamous wrongful conviction of Michael Morton. Among the article’s claims about Coleman was the statement that he “assisted with the prosecution of Michael Morton.”

Coleman sued for defamation in August 2020, claiming that the article’s statement that he “assisted with the prosecution of Michael Morton” was false and defamatory.

The defendants moved to dismiss the suit under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA). The motion made several arguments, including that the challenged statement was not actionably false. The trial court denied the TCPA motion.

The Court of Appeals affirmed, so the defendants petitioned for review by the Texas Supreme Court. The petition was granted, and oral arguments were presented on Sept. 14, with the court reversing the lower court’s ruling on Feb. 16 of this year, effectively dismissing the suit. “The Polk County Enterprise, part of the Polk County Publishing Company group of newspapers, is dedicated to covering local news, delivered by trained professionals. We are thankful this case is behind us. We will continue, as always, to bring quality community journalism to our readers,” PCPC Publisher Kelli Barnes said.