A former Johnson County chief deputy who says he was retaliated against by Sheriff Adam King has filed a petition to remove King from office.
The petition was filed by former Chief Deputy James Saulter, who alleges he was placed on administrative leave and later fired after reporting allegations that King sexually harassed a female employee of the Texas Rangers.
Saulter's retaliation claim became the focus of King's criminal trial earlier this month, where prosecutors accused King of abusing his office by punishing the deputy for reporting the allegations.
James Saulter filed the petition July 20 in Johnson County's 294th District Court under the Texas Local Government Code. The filing alleges King committed incompetency and official misconduct warranting removal from office.
Saulter's attorney, Christopher Cooke, said the petition seeks more than just a legal ruling.
"What my client wants and what the citizens of Johnson County deserve is to have Sheriff King temporarily removed from office by the district judge in charge of this case so that we can begin to put the Sheriff's Office back together again," said Cooke.
King was first indicted in August 2025 on charges including official oppression and retaliation.
The petition follows one of King's criminal trial, where jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on one charge alleging King retaliated against Saulter for reporting the sheriff's alleged sexual misconduct.
King still faces separate charges of sexual misconduct.
King has pleaded not guilty and continues to maintain his innocence. A judge previously allowed him to continue serving as sheriff on a limited schedule while awaiting trial.
During the nearly two-week trial, prosecutors argued King unlawfully retaliated against Saulter by placing him on administrative leave before eventually firing him.
King's attorneys argued Saulter's discipline was unrelated to his whistleblower report and instead stemmed from allegations that he falsified timesheets.
The defense rested without calling witnesses, and King did not testify.
Cooke argued the petition is intended to provide what he described as accountability for Johnson County residents.
He pointed to another Texas sheriff who was removed through the same legal process before being indicted and said his client believes King has received different treatment.
"We believe that he's received preferential treatment and the citizens of Johnson County deserve a solution. And so that's why we filed this petition," Cooke said.
The removal petition marks the latest development in a legal dispute that has drawn attention to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office for more than a year. According to the court filing, if the petition advances, a jury would decide whether King should be removed from office under state law.
The criminal case and the civil removal effort will proceed on separate legal tracks. While the removal petition could ultimately be decided by a jury, King's criminal retrial is expected to revisit the same underlying allegations that led to the mistrial earlier this month.
The outcome of each case could have significant implications for the future leadership of the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.
King's criminal retrial for the retaliation charge is scheduled for November.
Emmanuel Rivas Valenzuela is KERA's breaking news reporter. Got a tip? Email Emmanuel at erivas@kera.org. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members.
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