Petition filed to remove D.A. Hawk from office

A fired former assistant is trying to have Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk removed from office.

Fort Worth attorney Kelly Puls filed the petition to have Hawk removed and says she needs to be out of office now.

"She's a threat to Dallas County, quite candidly,” said Puls. “How so? By not being at the job, by being mentally incompetent to carry out her day-to-day duties,” said Puls.

Cindy Stormer, the former administrative chief under Hawk, is bringing the petition to have Hawk removed, alleging incompetence and official misconduct due to a serious physical or mental defect that did not exist during her election.

Puls is asking for Hawk’s medical records for the past year, saying her treatment for mental illness does not hurt his case.

"If she wants to have a defense of, ‘I was crazy before…before I ran,’ let that be her defense, but I don't believe any of her political filings,” said Puls. “Did she ever allude to mental incompetence?”

Dan Hagood and Charla Aldous represent Hawk.

Hagood told FOX 4 by phone that he doesn't think the petition will stand and that none of this reflects Hawk after treatment.

Former judge Dan Wyde is not involved in the case. He says it's a tough argument to win, but adds that it will be a bother and a nuisance for Hawk.

"It is an extremely rare set of circumstances when you are going to petition to remove an elected official and ultimately undo an election,” said Wyde.

In a statement, the National Alliance for Mental Illness says it's extremely concerned about the attempt to oust Hawk, adding that it sends a message that people with mental illness are not capable of performing in the workplace.