County commissioners are not the place for court complaints, Tarrant district attorney says
Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Sharen Wilson told county commissioners on Tuesday that their public meetings were not the place for residents’ complaints about the Family Courts system.
Wilson, speaking in response to complaints made during the public comment portion of Commissioners Court meetings, admonished the commissioners for allowing people to speak on items that aren’t on the agenda.
Residents have complained about the courts, the Department of Family and Protective Services and the Medical Examiner’s Office in recent meetings.
Judge Glen Whitley told Wilson that the law requires the commissioners court to allow people to speak during the public comment portion. But Wilson said she believed there needs to be some degree of separation and that the commissioners court wasn’t the place to seek solutions on court cases.
At one point during her presentation, Wilson displayed a slide depicting the legislative, judicial and executive branches.
“While you all are called to court, you’re not an appellate court, you don’t have any say of what goes on in the court,” Wilson said, pointing out that commissioners provide the funding for the courts. “But other than that, you stay as executives.”
Wilson said what was hard about situations like these is that the statements in public comment aren’t under oath.
“I respectfully tell you all that this is outside the ability of you to do anything,” Wilson said.
Even if the commissioners made a statement on behalf of someone else to the state’s commission for judicial review, Wilson said it would be based on hearsay.
After the meeting, Wilson said she understood that those who made claims felt they weren’t being heard, but said their solution wasn’t with the commissioners court. Whitley, who at one point served on the board for Alliance for Children, understood that the powers fell outside of the court.
“It’s sad, and it always tugs at your heartstrings when you’re dealing with kids,” Whitley said. “And it always will.”
Both Wilson and Whitley said the families affected could seek help through the state’s commission on judicial conduct.
