Rhea, a mother of nine from Houston, testified that in the past, Tanner has issued threats and sought to \u201cdeal with\u201d individuals he has deemed enemies.<\/p>\n
After the state sued Tanner, she said he told followers in a WhatsApp group that he \u201cwas going to get all those B-words\u201d and asked for the addresses of the judge, sheriff and members of the state\u2019s counsel.<\/p>\n
According to Rhea, Tanner grew distrustful of her after learning that the state had subpoenaed her in the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Tanner stated that we were working with the state, and that he could not trust us,\u201d Rhea said. \u201cHe\u2019s supposed to know everything that goes on on the land. We were cussed out, and we were told that we had to share everything. So we posted the subpoena on the WhatsApp group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rhea, who resides in Loving County but is no longer on Tanner\u2019s property, recounted being followed by group members Vernetta Carey and Diondra Norris. Rhea testified the two would show up at her food truck and follow her to places she knew they did not regularly go to.<\/p>\n
Then, on July 1, while visiting the post office in Mentone, the only town located in the county, Rhea said she watched Carey bend down beside her rear tire and then leave, later finding that her tire had a leak in it. The state also presented a photo Rhea took of her tire, showing a tear in the tire\u2019s sidewall.<\/p>\n
Days later, on July 8, Rhea said Carey and Norris came to her place of work, where she observed both of them get near her car\u2019s tires. At first, she said she thought nothing of it, but she later discovered that one of her front tires had been scratched and a rear tire had been slashed.<\/p>\n
During cross-examination, Tanner, who is representing himself in the case, made several attempts to talk about Rhea\u2019s husband, who was arrested earlier this year for domestic violence. Nicholas shot down Tanner from asking more detailed questions about her husband or the nature of the arrest.<\/p>\n
Tanner then asked if Rhea had ever reported her tires being slashed or being followed to the police. Nicholas nixed that argument too, noting the details of the state\u2019s request for Rhea\u2019s protection are subject to a law enforcement investigation that cannot be testified to in the civil matter.<\/p>\n
Tanner asked Rhea if she ever witnessed him order her tires be slashed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot me,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas Dr. Malcolm Tanner ever physically harmed you or your family?\u201d Tanner asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot physically,\u201d Rhea answered.<\/p>\n
Tanner then asked if he had ever made Rhea fear for her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen what you\u2019ve done to other people, and how you go after them, and some of the things are similar to what I\u2019m dealing with,\u201d Rhea explained. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t in person. It was over Clubhouse, WhatsApp, and Teams. I\u2019ve seen how you pulled everyone\u2019s information. I\u2019ve seen how you pulled people\u2019s jail records. I\u2019ve seen how you\u2019ve gotten everybody\u2019s address. I\u2019ve seen how you can have people dealt with.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his closing statement, Tanner painted Rhea as a person being taken advantage of by the state to speak against him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I believe is going on here, your honor, is that we have a husband and a wife in a situation with the state because of abuse within that relationship, and it looks to me like it is the state interfering, manipulating, causing the damage,\u201d Tanner said.<\/p>\n
Before making his ruling on the motion, Nicholas noted for the record that Tanner, during his closing statement, argued facts that were not in the evidence and misstated other facts.<\/p>\n
Under the injunction, Tanner, Clark and Norris \u2014 and anyone acting under their direction \u2014 are not to communicate with or go within 500 yards of Rhea or members of her family. The injunction will remain in place until the case is resolved.\u00a0The state\u2019s motion for summary judgment on its claim that Tanner violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act currently pends before Nicholas.<\/p>\n
Throughout the state\u2019s litigation against him, Tanner has maintained he has done nothing wrong and that the suits are an effort to suppress Black people from moving to his property.<\/p>\n
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