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From County Jail to Critical Condition

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Jackson’s family has absolutely no idea what exactly happened to him. Interestingly, apparently neither does the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department. Well…at least that is the narrative they have been providing everyone who has been seeking answers about the key details surrounding Jackson, especially his family and their attorneys.

Published

7 years ago

May 30, 2019

Oakland Post

“All these facts point to foul play by each person involved with the custody and care of C.J., which is evident by the withholding of information to his family,” said civil rights attorney U.A. Lewis, who is representing the family alongside attorney Shardae Parker.

Texas Rangers Investigating Case after Missing Burleson County Jail Inmate Serving a One Day Jail Sentence Ends Up on Life Support in an Entirely Different County

By Jeffrey L. Boney, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Can you imagine the heartache and disbelief the family of 30-year-old Chester “C.J.” Jackson has been experiencing after not knowing any details about what happened to their loved one after learning that his initial arrest on April 19th in one county ended up leading to his finding him in the hospital on life support in another county on April 22nd?

Jackson’s family has absolutely no idea what exactly happened to him. Interestingly, apparently neither does the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department. Well…at least that is the narrative they have been providing everyone who has been seeking answers about the key details surrounding Jackson, especially his family and their attorneys.

Jackson, who commonly goes by “C.J.” for those in the community who know him, has been battling for his life in critical condition in the ICU at St. David Hospital in Austin, Texas. Jackson’s condition has slightly improved, but he is still battling to recover.

Although Jackson’s condition has improved and his current medical condition known at this moment, what isn’t fully known are the key details surrounding the encounter Jackson had that led to his getting transported from Burleson County to Austin and ending up in his current condition.

This entire ordeal remains a mystery, clouded by suspicion surrounding the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department and their unwillingness to share critical information that can help shed light on what really happened to Jackson last month.

Back on Friday, April 19th, Jackson’s family states that they were told by the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department that Jackson had been arrested by a Burleson County Sheriff officer for a Class C, low-level misdemeanor offense of public intoxication.

The next day after Jackson’s arrest, on Saturday, April 20th, Jackson’s father states he received a call from the Burleson County Justice of the Peace advising him that his son had been officially released from jail and that he should come pick him up. When Jackson’s father told the Judge he was out of town and could not pick Jackson up himself, he promptly notified the Judge that Jackson’s mother could come pick him up from the jail instead.

This is where things get very disturbing.

When notified by Jackson’s father that Jackson needed to be picked up from jail, Jackson’s mother and girlfriend both hurried to go pick him up from the Burleson County jail. Upon arriving to the jail within an hour of receiving the phone call to come pick up Jackson, the two ladies were met by the Burleson County Justice of the Peace, along with Burleson County Deputy Nathaniel L. Graves.

It was then that Jackson’s mother states that the two men claimed that Jackson had suddenly become a danger and could not be released, despite having served his time on the alleged public intoxication charge.

Burleson County officials opted to maintain custody of Jackson, which prompted his mother to request a visit with her son to let him know they had arrived and make sure he was okay. According to his mother, her request was denied and so she left.

The next day, on Sunday, April 21st, Jackson’s mother states that she called the Burleson County jail to check on Jackson’s status, but was given no update. They also told her that Jackson could not be found, which caused her to become extremely worried, as most parents would. She heard absolutely nothing all day Sunday, but on Monday, April 22nd, that is when Jackson’s mother began to panic, as she finally received news about Jackson and it was not good. According to his mother, she was told that Jackson was no longer in the Burleson County jail, but had been transported to Austin where he was in the hospital on life support after needing to be resuscitated.

After finding out that Jackson was at St. David Hospital in Austin, the family rushed down to check on his condition. When they arrived at the hospital, they found Jackson connected to a life support machine and in a coma. Upon viewing his body, the family states they saw several mysterious puncture wounds that resembled Taser prong marks on various parts of his body.

When his mother spoke with Burleson County Sheriff Thomas Norsworthy, he stated to her that C.J. was released from jail the same way he entered the jail; in healthy physical condition. Sheriff Norsworthy did, however, apparently inform her that Jackson was allegedly suffering from sort of mental crisis. It was further communicated, according to the family, that one of Sheriff Norsworthy’s deputies, William C. Elkins, who began working at the Burleson County Sheriff’s department in November 2015 after being a reserve officer with Brazos County Constable Precinct 3 for one month, was the person who actually transported Jackson to Austin and released him to Cross Creek Hospital, where Jackson was allegedly in healthy physical condition.

According to their website, Cross Creek Hospital in Austin, TX, is a “behavioral health treatment center that provides inpatient treatment services for individuals who are struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.”

So, if Jackson was dropped off in healthy physical condition at a mental health and substance abuse hospital in Austin nearly two hours away from the Burleson County jail, how did he end up in a coma on life support in ICU at an entirely different hospital shortly thereafter?

Jackson’s family decided to retain legal counsel to deal with this horrific ordeal that is full of questionable actions and limited details and information surrounding the case.

As far as some details go, it is known that Jackson ended up at St. David Hospital after being transferred from Cross Creek Hospital, but what is not known is if Jackson was ever admitted into Cross Creek Hospital after being taken their initially by Officer Elkins.

These things are unattainable at the moment, because Jackson is currently in ICU on life support and his family has not able to get any of his medical records according to the law.

“Since we have to gather information to file any legal action, we have to gather facts,” said Lewis. “We are seeking emergency guardianship so that his father and mother can gain basic information that is currently being shielded by HIPPA violation allegations.”

To date, there are no court records of Jackson’s official arrest, nor any court proceedings.

According to the family’s attorneys, Sheriff Thomas Norsworthy stated he had footage from his jail showing Jackson being released on Sunday, April 21st, in perfect physical condition, but has yet to make that footage available after numerous requests.

Lewis and Parker also state that they have requested records of the arrest, the charge, release documents, use of force reports and the jail surveillance footage depicting Jackson being physically fine when he was released from jail, but the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department has been stalling and has practically refused to provide any of the requested items to date.

“Withholding information at critical times like this goes on far more often than the public realizes, although they have a duty to release it,” said Parker.

Lewis states that they arelooking for community support from everywhere.

“We cannot allow this to go on in 2019.Many of us in Texas have spent time in the “country” and have relatives who still live there,” said Lewis. “Sandra Bland, like Emmett Till, was from Chicago. Do you think Emmett Till was the first to be killed in that town? The others had nobody from the outside to stand up for them. Sandra Bland’s death got attention because those from the outside spoke up. The Burleson County Sheriff’s Department is cooperative in promising information, but has failed to actually produce information. We need people from the outside to stand up for C.J. and share his story so the whole world can see. They need spotlight protection. We can handle the rest once we are in court.”

Burleson County is the neighboring county of Waller County, which is 60 miles west of where Sandra Bland was arrested and died within 3 days of her arrest back in 2015. Located within Burleson County,Caldwell is a small town between Austin and Houston, but also not far from Waco and Dallas, with a population of approximately 4,100. Caldwell is roughly 71 percent White and 13% African American.

By being a small town, the voices of Caldwell residents don’t get heard like those in larger cities, so it is important that those in larger cities speak up and out for Jackson and others like him.

There was recently a major protest rally and press conference held in front of the Burleson County Jail, where Jackson’s parents, girlfriend, children, the public, Black Lives Matter Houston, and the lawyers for the family gathered to demand justice for the young man.

Jackson’s father is having a difficult time understanding how a simple class C misdemeanor arrest could have ended like this. He and his son had recently invested in a landscaping business and had just got the business up and running. According to his father, he doesn’t know how he is going to be able to go on without the help of his son, because Jackson was the one responsible for completing the jobs, and he has now been left him to do everything.

According to Lewis, after they held their press conference, some interesting new developments have occurred that have increased optimism about learning what truly happened to Jackson.

First, the Texas Rangers have agreed to investigate, and have already begun an investigation into the matter. Secondly, the most interesting development involves the Caldwell Police Department in Caldwell, Texas.

According to Lewis, Caldwell Police Chief Charles Barnes confirmed this past week that one of their officers had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation related to that officer’s alleged engagement with and possible misconduct towards Jackson.

This is an interesting turn of events, especially considering there has been little to no details provided to the family, attorneys or the media. It also doesn’t answer any questions or shed any light on what actually happened to Jackson between the time of his arrest and by the time he ended up in the hospital on life support battling for his life.

As it relates to Jackson, the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department was the arresting agency and the holding agency. So, if Jackson was arrested by the Burleson County Sheriff’s Department and taken to the Burleson County jail, why would there be any reason for Jackson to come in contact or have to interact with anyone from the Caldwell Police Department?

These questions have still gone unanswered by Caldwell Police Chief Barnes, Burleson County Sheriff Thomas Norsworthy or anyone else who was in contact with Jackson. In the meantime, the full reason for the Caldwell police officer being place on administrative leave is unknown at this time, however we do know that it is in connection with CJ, which raises tons of red flags.

In a statement released from Burleson County Sheriff Norsworthy, he states:

The Burleson County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to doing what is right, legal and ethical. Mr. Chester Jackson and his family have our full sympathy. Since our first contact with Mr. Jackson in 2013, we have held Mr. Jackson’s safety and well-being in highest regard as we would for any member of the community.

The Burleson County Sheriff’s Office is committed to conducting a full and complete investigation into the actions and circumstances that have resulted in the current condition of Mr. Jackson, and to keeping Mr. Jackson’s family informed. At the conclusion of this investigation, all of our information will be made available to Mr. Jackson’s family and the community as appropriate.

We will continue to follow this case and hope to find out more critical information that can help shed light on what truly happened to Jackson last month.

Jeffrey Boney is a political analyst and frequent contributor for the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com and the associate editor for the Houston Forward Times newspaper. Jeffrey is an award-winning journalist, dynamic, international speaker, experienced entrepreneur, business development strategist and founder and CEO of the Texas Business Alliance. Follow Jeffrey on Twitter @realtalkjunkies.

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Poll Shows Support for Policies That Help Families Afford Child Care

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Oakland Post

By First Five Years Fund

New national polling shows persistent voter concern about the affordability and availability of child care for working parents, alongside broad support across key demographic groups for federal child care policies that help families afford care.

The national survey was conducted by UpOne Insight on behalf of the First Five Years Fund from January 13–18, 2026.

Key findings include:

• Parents need help: 80% of voters say the ability of working parents to find and afford child care is either in a state of crisis or a major problem.

• This is an affordability issue: 82% believe federal child care funding will help lower costs for working families — including 69% of Republicans, 84% of Independents, and 94% of Democrats.

• And there continues to be strong support (62%) for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), a federal program that makes it possible for hundreds of thousands of families to afford safe, quality care for their children while parents work or go to school, including a majority of Republicans, 63% of Independents and 72% of Democrats.

• Support for funding child care programs remains strong: 75% believe child care funding should be increased or kept at current levels — including 75% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 97% of Democrats.

• 74% say funding for child care is an important and good use of tax dollars, including a majority of Republicans, three-quarters of Independents, and nine in ten Democrats.

FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling said, “Voters across the country are sending a clear message: federal child care and early learning programs work. These investments help parents stay in the workforce, strengthen families, and support healthy child development. They have also long had strong bipartisan support in Congress. At a time when affordability is top of mind for families, continued federal funding is essential to ensure child care remains accessible and within reach.”

First Five Years Fund works to protect, prioritize, and build bipartisan support for quality child care and early learning programs at the federal level. Reliable, affordable, and high-quality early learning and child care can be transformative, not only enhancing a child’s prospects for a brighter future but also bolstering working parents and fostering economic stability nationwide.

We work with Congress and the Administration to identify federal solutions that work for families with young children, as well as states and communities. We work with policymakers to identify ways to increase access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs for children. And we collaborate with advocacy groups to help align best practices with the best possible policies. http://www.ffyf.org

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Trump’s MAGA Allies are Creating Executive Order Plan to Steal the 2026 Midterms

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

Oakland Post

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Correspondent

A group of MAGA pro-Trump activists, who say they are working in coordination with the White House, are circulating a 17-page draft executive order that would claim without evidence that China interfered with the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential to President Joe Biden by over 7 million votes. Since Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he has repeatedly claimed that the election was “stolen” without evidence. The report of a group of “Trump allies” preparing an executive order to give Trump power over elections was first reported by The Washington Post.

The lies around the right-wing campaign that pushed falsehoods that the 2020 election was stolen was trafficked through right-wing media, particularly Fox News. Fox News was then sued for defamation for the claims by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox lost the case and had to settle for the largest defamation amount on record of $787.5 million in April 2023.

The document that could lead to an executive order proposes using the claim that China interfered with the 2020 elections as grounds to “declare a national emergency.” The move would be an unprecedented step that would grant Trump new authority over the voting systems in the U.S.

The story in The Washington Post arrives as Trump increasingly signals that he may take actions that would alter the result of the 2026 midterms. The Republicans are widely expected to lose as their approval ratings plummet as a result of a failing economy under Trump. Over 50 members of Congress have announced they will retire this year and not return in 2027.

The Trump Department of Justice, which now has a large image of Trump on the side of it, “sued five new states Thursday [Feb. 26, 2026] demanding access to their unredacted voter rolls — escalating a campaign that has been rejected by multiple federal courts and faces resistance from Republican-led states as well,” according to Democracy Docket, a group that works to protect voting rights.

Trump claimed back in late 2020, the last year of his first term, that he had the authority to issue an executive order related to mail-in voting for the 2020 elections — which he would then lose. But the Constitution states that control of elections lies with the states. As the GOP works to place hurdles in front of voting, Democrats worked to make voting easier.

In March 2021, President Biden signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to expand voting access as part of the Biden Administration’s effort “to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections.”

Trump’s focus is clearly on altering the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s polling numbers and the elections and special elections that have taken place around the U.S. over the last year clearly indicate that Republicans are about to be hit by a blue wave of Democratic victories.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the founder of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears on #RolandMartinUnfiltered and hosts the show LAUREN LIVE on YouTube @LaurenVictoriaBurke. She can be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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PRESS ROOM: NBA Hall of Fame Nominee Terry Cummings Joins 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to Launch Victory & Values Initiative

NNPA NEWSWIRE — NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th.

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

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Cummings becomes an honorary member, joining other role model sports stars

NBA Hall of Fame nominee and Basketball Legend Terry Cummings has officially become an honorary member of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County, marking a powerful new chapter for the 100 Black Men and youth development across the region.

Cummings was administered the official member’s oath and ceremonially pinned during a special induction ceremony held on Friday, February 20th. The moment signified more than membership — it marked the launch of the organization’s transformative new platform, the Victory & Values Initiative.

The Victory & Values Initiative is a groundbreaking youth development program designed to empower elementary and middle school students through a dynamic blend of sports, mentorship, and STEM exposure. The initiative focuses on building health, discipline, character, leadership, and access to opportunity — creating pathways for long-term academic and personal success.

“This is about more than sports,” said Cummings during the ceremony. “It’s about using the platform of athletics to teach life lessons, create access, and build the next generation of leaders.”

The induction ceremony also featured notable guests including NASCAR’s newest Star Driver, Lavar Scott and NASCAR Director of Athletic Performance, Phil Horton, who joined Cummings for a powerful Victory & Values Town Hall discussion. The Town Hall was moderated by renowned Sports Emcee John Hollins and focused on leadership, resilience, discipline, and the importance of mentorship in shaping young lives.

A “Day at NASCAR” for 75+ Youth

Cummings wasted no time getting to work. On his first full day as an honorary member, he joined his new brothers of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County to host a “Day at NASCAR,” escorting more than 75 youth to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at EchoPark Motor Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

The youth participants received behind-the-scenes access including: an exclusive tour of Pit Row, access to the Garage Area and exploration of the interactive Fan Zone.

The experience culminated with a surprise meet-and-greet and Q&A session with NASCAR Superstar Bubba Wallace, who shared insights on perseverance, preparation, and breaking barriers in professional sports.

The day served as a living example of the ‘Victory & Values’ Initiative in action — exposing youth to new industries, expanding their vision for the future, and connecting them directly with high- level mentors and role models.

Building Leaders Through Access and Mentorship

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb County – a chapter of the largest, national mentoring organization in the county – continues to expand its footprint with programs focused on academic excellence, economic empowerment, leadership development, and health & wellness.

The launch of ‘Victory & Values’ represents a strategic expansion of the organization’s impact

intentionally integrating athletics and STEM to engage youth at an early age while reinforcing core principles such as integrity, accountability, teamwork, and perseverance.

“Our mission has always been to mentor the next generation,” said Vaughn Irons, President-Elect of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County. “With Terry Cummings joining the brotherhood, along with partners in NASCAR and professional sports, we are creating unprecedented access and exposure for our youth. Victory & Values is about turning inspiration into structured opportunity.”

By connecting elementary and middle school students to professional athletes, executives, STEM professionals, and community leaders, the initiative aims to:

Increase youth exposure to careers in sports business, engineering, and performance science
Strengthen mentorship pipelines
Promote physical wellness and mental resilience
Build character-driven leadership at an early age

Open Invitation to Youth and Families

All youth are invited to participate in the Victory & Values Initiative, along with the other countless, impactful programs offered by the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County.

Parents and guardians seeking mentorship, leadership development, academic enrichment, and transformative exposure opportunities for their children are encouraged to connect with the organization.

As NBA Legend Terry Cummings’ induction demonstrates, Victory & Values is more than a program — it is a movement designed to build champions in life, not just in sports.

For more information about the Victory & Values Initiative or to enroll a student, contact: 100 Black Men of DeKalb County at Phone at 404.241.1338, info@100bmod.org or Tee Foxx at 404.791.6525,