Fired prosecutor sues in effort to get Dallas DA removed from office
A fired Texas prosecutor has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the state against her former boss, seeking to remove Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk from office.
Filed Tuesday, the Dallas County District Court petition by former administrative chief Cindy Stormer cites claimed incompetence by Hawk to perform the duties of her office. It points to the DA’s admitted battle with depression, claimed “paranoid delusions” and other alleged conduct, according to Courthouse News and the Dallas Morning News (sub. req.).
Under a state statute, citizens have the right to seek the removal of an elected official based on incompetence, among other grounds.
“Our petition is very fact specific and it is verified by Cindy Stormer and two other individuals,” said attorney Kelly Puls, who represents Stormer, at a Tuesday news conference. “We believe that meets the test.”
However, Hawk’s lawyer, Dan Hagood, said the petition’s allegations “are without merit” and concern claimed conduct before she sought treatment for her depression. He called the filing an “outrageous abuse of the system,” the Morning News reports.
Meanwhile, observer Greg Hansch, who serves as public policy director for a Texas affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said depression does not disqualify an individual from serving productively. As an example, he referenced President Abraham Lincoln. Hansch also suggested that singling out an individual who has sought treatment for depression may be discriminatory.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Dallas County DA known for exposing wrongful convictions loses to GOP challenger”
ABAJournal.com: “Dallas County DA talks about her two-month absence and untreated depression”