Transmitted via email to Texas Department of Public Safety, Office of General Counsel — Public Information, May 26, 2026.
TO: Texas Department of Public Safety — Office of General Counsel, Public Information 5805 N. Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78752-4422 openrecords@dps.texas.gov
FROM: ████████████████████████████ DATE: May 26, 2026
RE: Texas Public Information Act Request — Texas Ranger Investigation of Tomas Ramirez
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act, Tex. Gov’t Code Chapter 552, I respectfully request copies of the following records held by the Texas Department of Public Safety concerning the investigation of former Colorado County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tomas Ramirez and the conduct alleged to have occurred in or about September 2024 at the Colorado County Jail. Without limiting the foregoing, I specifically request:
- The complete Texas Ranger investigative case file, including the final report of investigation and any supplemental reports;
- All recorded or transcribed interviews of the alleged victim, Tomas Ramirez, CCSO personnel, and any other witnesses;
- Evidence inventory, chain-of-custody documentation, and forensic analysis reports;
- All photographs, video, and audio recordings collected, generated, or reviewed during the investigation;
- All written communications (including email and memoranda) between the assigned Ranger(s) and DPS supervisors, the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado County Attorney’s Office, and any other agency regarding the investigation;
- The Ranger’s written recommendation or referral to the prosecuting authority, and any responsive communication from the prosecutor.
PUBLIC-COURT-RECORD CATEGORY. To the extent any responsive record has been filed with, attached to, introduced before, or otherwise made part of any court proceeding in this matter, that record is public information under Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.022(a)(17) and may not be withheld under § 552.108, § 552.103, or any other discretionary exception. See Open Records Decision Nos. 665 (2000), 664 (1999), and 177 (1977).
DEFERRED-ADJUDICATION CARVE-OUT, § 552.108(a)(2) AND (b)(2). The investigation resulted in deferred adjudication community supervision. By the plain text of Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.108(a)(2) and § 552.108(b)(2), records of an investigation that resulted in deferred adjudication are not excepted from disclosure under those subsections.
INTERFERENCE REBUTTAL, § 552.108(a)(1) AND (b)(1). The investigation closed upon entry of judgment. Disclosure of records of a completed investigation cannot interfere with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime within the meaning of § 552.108(a)(1) or (b)(1). See Open Records Decision No. 549 (1990). Requestor acknowledges DPS may redact specific investigative techniques whose disclosure would compromise future investigations; substantive findings, witness statements, and the final report do not fall within that category.
LITIGATION-EXCEPTION REBUTTAL, § 552.103. DPS is not a party or anticipated defendant in any pending or anticipated litigation by Requestor. The records are sought for public-accountability journalism. See Open Records Decision No. 588 (1991). The records sought here are equally subject to disclosure if requested by a journalist or any unrelated citizen.
REDACTION DEFERENCE. I acknowledge that responsive records may contain information DPS is required by law to withhold or redact, including victim identifying information under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 57 and 57A; personally identifying information of officers under Tex. Gov’t Code §§ 552.117, 552.130, and 552.147; specific investigative techniques whose disclosure would compromise future investigations; medical information under federal HIPAA and Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.101; and other information specifically made confidential by statute. I request that such legally required redactions be applied and the remainder of the records be produced. If any responsive record is withheld in its entirety, I request an itemized index identifying the document, the statutory basis asserted, and a brief description.
PUBLIC-INTEREST FEE WAIVER AND BINDING PUBLIC-RELEASE COMMITMENT. Pursuant to Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.267(a), I respectfully request that the responding entity furnish the responsive records without charge or at a reduced rate. All responsive records produced under this request will be made publicly available at aiether.info within seven (7) business days of receipt, with mandatory redactions applied. This commitment is binding and independent of any pending or anticipated claim by Requestor in any other forum.
AG RULING AND SEVERABILITY. If DPS seeks an Attorney General ruling under Tex. Gov’t Code § 552.301, please provide the required notice and submission within the statutory 10-business-day period and provide me with a copy. If any single item is contested or denied, the remaining items are requested to be produced without delay.
COST ESTIMATE. If full or partial waiver is denied, I am willing to pay reasonable charges as authorized by Tex. Gov’t Code §§ 552.261–552.275. Pursuant to § 552.2615, please provide an itemized cost estimate before production if charges are expected to exceed $40.
Sincerely,
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