District Attorney Susan Hawk, personal and professional battles (2015)
Initial leave from office
Dallas County, Texas, District Attorney Susan Hawk (R) was the subject of news reports in August 2015 related to an initially unexplained absence from her office. Hawk’s political consultant and spokeswoman, Mari Woodlief, said the official left for what she called "summer break" on August 3.[1] But three weeks later, Hawk was still not back on the job. This led the local Democratic Party to call for her resignation unless she returned to work. Published media accounts speculated that Hawk may have sought drug rehabilitation treatment, but her spokeswoman denied those claims.[2]
Hawk reappeared on August 25, explaining her departure as due to treatment for a "serious episode of depression" and revealing that she would need another month of treatment.[1] On the same day, she announced that she was officially taking a four-week, unpaid leave.[3] Three weeks later, a local news channel reported that, according to its unnamed source, Hawk was planning to meet with her doctors to see when she could return to work, but that no firm date had been established.[4]
Hawk was released from rehab in late September and returned to work on October 1.[5]
At a news conference, she told reporters, "These past nine weeks have been tough but I am stronger and healthier than I have ever been."[6]
Hawk was profiled in a cover story called "A Woman on the Verge" for the November 2015 edition of D Magazine. The article detailed stresses in her personal and professional life. It delved into the issues of divorce, drug addiction and mental illness, including thoughts of suicide.[7] While Dallas Democrats continued to call for Hawk to step down, local Republican Party chairman Wade Emmert said he hoped "that all citizens of Dallas County would give Susan an opportunity to prove herself now that these darkest days of her life are behind her.”[8]
According to Article 4, Section 12 of the Texas State Constitution, if the district attorney were to resign, the governor would fill that vacancy by appointment.[9]
Personnel conflicts
On October 13, 2015, a former employee of the D.A.'s office, Cindy Stormer, filed a petition seeking the removal of Hawk from office for incompetency.[10] Stormer, who was fired in September 2015, accused Hawk of "gross ignorance of official duties, gross carelessness in the discharge of those duties, and unfitness and an inability to properly discharge her official duties."[11] However, those charges were denied by Assistant District Attorney Messina Madson, who took charge of the office during Hawk's absence. Madson said she had terminated Stormer because of poor job performance.[12]
Stormer was represented by attorney Kelly Puls.[13] He was one of at least six employees Hawk reportedly fired or forced to resign, some without explanation. Puls had previously said he and his law partner would file suit to have Hawk removed from office. "We're saying that she's unfit and she's done illegal acts," Puls said.[14]
Another fired Hawk employee, former investigator Jeff Savage, had been with the district attorney's office for 26 years and was ten months away from retirement when he was terminated. Following her return from rehab, Hawk and Savage met and reconciled their differences. She offered to rehire him.[15][16]
Lawsuit dismissed
After months of legal filings and public debate, a lawsuit demanding Hawk's ouster was dismissed. Judge David Peeples tossed out the case on January 8, 2016. The suit was filed by Cindy Stormer, Hawk's former administrative chief who was fired in September 2015. She had accused Hawk of erratic behavior and misconduct. But after the ruling, Stormer told reporters she wished Hawk well.[17]
Timeline of events
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Susan Hawk' 'Dallas County' 'Removal'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- Dallas County District Attorney website
- Local TV news report about Susan Hawks absence
- Editorial board meeting with Dallas DA Susan Hawk
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dallas Morning News, "Dallas County DA Susan Hawk is at Texas facility for depression treatment," August 26, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "Dallas DA disappears without explanation," August 24, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "Dallas DA explains disappearance as 'episode of depression,'" August 25, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "Dallas DA may remain out of office longer than announced," September 14, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "DA Susan Hawk released from in-patient facility," September 29, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "Hawk returns to DA job after two months away," October 1, 2015
- ↑ D Magazine, "The Untold Story of Susan Hawk," November 2015
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Dallas County DA Susan Hawk faced suicidal thoughts, wanted to resign," October 4, 2015
- ↑ Texas State Constitution, "Article 4, Executive Department," accessed October 5, 2014
- ↑ Dallas Observer, "Lawsuit filed to boot Susan Hawk from Dallas County DA's office," October 14, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "Stormer working on petition to oust Dallas DA Hawk," September 24, 2015
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Dallas County DA Susan Hawk fends off allegations of financial misconduct," September 20, 2015
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Fired employee sues to remove Dallas County DA from office," October 14, 2015
- ↑ NBC5 News, Fort Worth Lawyers to Seek Dallas DA Removal," October 8, 2015
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "Dallas County DA Susan Hawk apologizes, offers to rehire fired worker," October 6, 2015
- ↑ WFAA, "DA Hawk begins fence mending; offers investigator job back," October 5, 2015
- ↑ Courthouse News Service, "Dallas DA Ducks Prosecutor's Ouster Effort," January 8, 2016
