Brownwood resident Joe Cooksey was sentenced to one year of probation in Brown County Court-at-Law Friday on the charge of Improper Disclosure of Certified Agenda or Tape Recording of Closed Meeting.

Visiting Judge Thomas Wheeler suspended the sentence to probation for the Class B misdemeanor which was originally set to be 180 days in jail.   Cooksey was accused of disclosing to the public a transcript of a closed meeting from the Brown County Commissioners Court that was held on April 10th, 2006 in executive session. He was found guilty of the charge in January.

Cooksey was originally arrested back in November 2009 after an investigation by Texas Ranger Sgt. Stephen Boyd.   Attorney Rudy Taylor was appointed special prosecutor in the case by County Court-at-Law Judge Frank Griffin.

Cooksey is known in the area for having filed removal petitions against then Brownwood Mayor Bert Massey and Brown County Judge Ray West about two years ago which were dismissed.  Cooksey also ran for Brown County Judge against Ray West in 2010, but was defeated in the Republican primary.

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