Johnson County sheriff’s trial abruptly rescheduled days before its start
Days before it was scheduled to begin, the jury trial of a North Texas sheriff accused of abusing his office and retaliating against witnesses was rescheduled, according to court records.
Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, who was last summer accused of sexually harassing female employees and threatening the chief deputy to keep it quiet, had been set to face trial starting Monday, his attorney told the Star-Telegram earlier this week.
Judge John Weeks on Thursday postponed that trial to June 22 after the district attorney’s office brought forward new evidence in the case, according to WFAA-TV.
The trial’s abrupt rescheduling came days after King fired the chief deputy, who was a witness against him in the case. In a letter dated May 12, King alleges that the chief deputy, James Saulter, failed to show up for a mandatory internal affairs interview that was part of an investigation against him.
Saulter was being investigated for allegedly falsifying time sheets, disobeying a direct order and failing to report part-time employment properly.
At Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors asked the judge to find King in violation of the court-ordered conditions upon which he has been allowed to remain sheriff, one of which was a ban on contacting Saulter or other witnesses involved in the case.
Saulter was scheduled to testify against King at the trial.
“We are ready for this to be over,” King told WFAA after Thursday’s hearing. “It’s taking a toll on us.”
Attorneys for King and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office could not immediately be reached for comment via phone on Friday.
