Live updates: Full courtroom for fourth day of Sheriff Adam King trial
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Danny Rogers is the godfather of Sheriff Adam King’s adopted daughter.
Or, at least, he might be. Rogers testified Thursday that he’s not sure whether that’s still true: In the year since King was indicted on a charge of retaliating against a witness, the close relationship between King and Rogers has deteriorated, he said.
Still, Rogers said through tears, he will never turn his back on the girl.
He loves her, and even after everything that’s happened, he loves King, too.
Rogers’ testimony was among the more emotional moments of Thursday’s session, the third day of King’s trial on charges of retaliating against Chief Deputy James Saulter for reporting allegations that King sexually harassed another employee, Anna Goodloe. In another terse exchange, prosecutors repeatedly objected to the prosecution’s line of questioning about Goodloe’s work hours.
The exchange ended with defense attorney Mark Daniel requesting a mistrial for the fifth time in three days. Judge John Wilson Weeks denied the request.
Rogers resumed his place on the witness stand Friday morning, taking questions from defense attorney Bill Mason.
11:00 a.m.: More debate on mention of sexual harassment
Over and over again, the defense and prosecution have sparred over the admissibility of testimony regarding King’s alleged sexual harassment of Anna Goodloe.
The arguments stem from a pretrial motion in which Weeks directed that testimony be limited to only what pertains to the charge at hand, involving the retaliation against James Saulter. Two other charges against King, one of which deals explicitly with the sexual harassment, are still pending trial.
Defense attorneys argue that most mentions of the sexual harassment allegations violate that order and risk confusing the jury. Prosecutors maintain that it’s impossible to discuss the retaliation against King without also mentioning the allegations that possibly precipitated that retaliation.
The disagreement was the subject of heated discussion during an attorneys’ conference yesterday, a discussion that continued into Friday morning and prompted another conference for which the jury was sent out of the courtroom.
The judge has, for the most part, allowed discussion of the allegations to stand.
10:45 a.m.: Prosecutors display photographs of King’s office
Prosecutors are walking the jury through different photographs of King’s office, where the sheriff holds command staff meetings.
Doors in the office are secured by number-code and fingerprint locks, which command staff and others have access to, Rogers said. The prosecutors point out photos on the windowsill and near King’s desk, and Rogers identified two of the photos as being those of Karen Charles, the former office manager.
Defense attorneys have argued all week that James Saulter was placed on administrative leave because he made a defamatory, unsubstantiated comment about King having sexual relations with Charles.
Charles’ photo also hangs on a hallway wall alongside the pictures of fallen deputies, Rogers confirmed.
9 a.m.: Judge admonishes supporters of King
Dozens of King’s supporters have filled the gallery all week.
Back when King was indicted in the summer of 2025, about 200 of them gathered in a Cleburne conference hall to make plans about how to support the sheriff, and decried the allegations against him as false attacks on King’s character.
Before the jury entered the room Friday, prosecutors told Weeks that Rogers had been receiving dirty looks and derogatory comments from the assembled supporters as he walked through the courthouse.
As Rogers made his way to the witness stand, attendees whispered “there he is” and shot him piercing looks, he told the judge. Weeks warned the assembled supporters that the looks and comments had to stop.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 9:53 AM.
