Judge Donald Clark has been suspended without pay following his indictment for official oppression and making a false police report that induced an emergency response, leading to an arrest. He is the current Colorado County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 3.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC), which is responsible for investigating allegations of this kind, issued the order of suspension against Judge Clark last week.
“Having considered the indictment, the Commission concluded that Judge Clark is charged with one count of Official Oppression, a Class A Misdemeanor; one count of False Report to Peace Office, a Class B Misdemeanor; and one count of False Report to Induce Emergency Response, a Class B Misdemeanor,” the order stated.
“The Commission determined that DONALD JOSEPH CLARK, should be SUSPENDED WITH PAY from the judicial office of Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3, Colorado County, Texas,” the order continued. “[T]his suspension shall remain in effect until the charges set forth in the indictment are dismissed, Judge Clark is acquitted of all charges in the indictment, or upon further order(s) of the Commission.”
Background
Judge Clark’s legal troubles stem from February 2026, when he knowingly falsified a report that he had been criminally threatened by Bobby Lee Whisnant Jr., a resident of Columbus.
The false statement was made to peace officer Cole Neumann, who was conducting a criminal investigation. The matter was relayed to 911, prompting an emergency response from the Columbus Police Department. Whisnant was ultimately arrested as a result of Clark’s report.
On June 18, a grand jury of the 25th District Court in Colorado County indicted Judge Clark on the three aforementioned charges. He turned himself in on June 23 and was booked into the Colorado County Jail. He was later released after posting a $3,000 bond.
The grand jury concluded that the report was made with the “intent to deceive” and was material to the investigation that led to Whisnant’s arrest.
According to the indictment, Judge Clark was “reckless with regard to whether the emergency response by the Columbus Police Department might directly result in bodily injury” to Whisnant.
Clark was found to have been acting in his official capacity when making the report.
The investigation was led by the Texas Rangers and the case will be prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney General.
The SCJC was notified of Judge Clark’s indictment on July 2. The commission ordered his suspension that same day.
Before being appointed to Justice of the Peace in 2023 and subsequently re-elected, Judge Clark (R) served as a Secret Service agent for 28 years.
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