I am currently involved in a federal civil lawsuit stemming from my arrest after speaking out about the ongoing water concerns affecting the citizens of Trinidad, Texas. What began as community reporting and gathering publicly shared information from residents regarding their water quality resulted in me being arrested and charged, despite my belief that citizens have the right to ask questions and seek accountability regarding issues that impact public health and safety. While the criminal matter has since been dropped/no-billed, the civil lawsuit now focuses on protecting constitutional rights, transparency, and ensuring that communities are not silenced for raising concerns about matters that directly affect their daily lives.