Duncanville city council member Paul Ford turned himself in to police Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge of disrupting a public meeting.
He was booked into the Duncanville jail and quickly transferred to the Dallas County Jail.
Ford said the charge was an attempt by city leaders to silence him from speaking out on important issues.
"I think it's absurd," he said. "I think it's indicative of everything going on in Duncanville. And I fully expect that this will result in a jury acquittal."
Ford has clashed with other council members over the city's red-light cameras.
The criminal charge stemmed from last Tuesday's city council meeting, when Ford refused the mayor's request to stop talking about a public works issue.
Mayor David Green said last week that Ford refuses to follow the rules at council meetings and frequently is disruptive.
A city spokesperson said police treated Ford like any other prisoner but declined to comment further.
The charge, a class B misdemeanor, carries a jail sentence of up to six months.
