Former Denton Officer Charged with Perjury over False Claims in 2023 Arrest Case

Former Denton police officer Joel David Weinstein has been indicted on charges of tampering with a governmental record after allegedly making false statements under oath in a 2023 arrest case, according to documents obtained by the Denton Record-Chronicle.

The 43-year-old former officer faces a third-degree felony charge stemming from discrepancies discovered in an arrest affidavit he wrote following an incident on September 6, 2023. The Denton Police Department announced the indictment in an October 23 news release.

According to department officials, the inconsistencies came to light during an unrelated misconduct investigation involving two other officers that began in February. Weinstein left the department in March, after the investigation into the other officers had commenced but before his own alleged false statements were discovered.

The case involves the arrest of a 21-year-old Denton man who was charged with evading arrest, resisting arrest, and obstructing a passageway. The Record-Chronicle initially reported on the incident in a September 7, 2023 blotter based on information provided by a department spokesperson.

In the probable cause affidavit obtained Wednesday, Weinstein described responding to a disturbance call at an apartment in the 2400 block of Stockbridge Road at approximately 3:45 a.m. After issuing the man a criminal trespass notice effective through noon that day, officers cleared the scene.

Approximately 30 minutes later, Weinstein reported hearing another disturbance call at the same complex. A different 911 caller reported a man matching the same description pounding on doors and kicking vehicles. The caller told Weinstein the man had blocked her vehicle in the roadway, posturing in a way that “terrified” her.

The grand jury indictment specifically alleges that Weinstein purposefully misrepresented the man’s actions in two portions of his probable cause affidavit. The first false statement, according to the indictment, claimed the suspect was “backing away in a different direction” when another officer gave verbal commands to walk to a particular spot.

The second allegedly false statement described the suspect walking through a puddle from a sprinkler in an otherwise dry parking lot, claiming that to do so, “[he] had to walk in the opposite direction from where he was being directed to go.”

Following the arrest, the suspect spent one day in the Denton County Jail before posting $7,500 bail. The case against him was disposed of in June, prior to Weinstein’s indictment.

Robert Rogers, one of Weinstein’s attorneys, defended his client to the Record-Chronicle, describing him as “a diligent officer, who was nominated multiple times for Officer of the Year by his peers,” and asserting that Weinstein is “not guilty of the allegations in the indictment.”

After his own indictment, Weinstein spent one day in the Denton County Jail on November 3 before posting $5,000 bail.

The case raises significant concerns about police accountability and the integrity of sworn statements used in criminal proceedings. False statements in arrest affidavits can lead to wrongful arrests, unnecessary legal proceedings, and potential violations of civil rights.

This indictment comes amid increasing national scrutiny of police misconduct and growing calls for transparency in law enforcement. In recent years, police departments across the country have faced mounting pressure to address instances of officer dishonesty and ensure accountability within their ranks.

If convicted of the third-degree felony charge, Weinstein could face between two and ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The city of Denton, through chief spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck, declined to provide additional comments beyond what was previously released in the department’s initial statement regarding the former officer.