Johnson County sheriff arrested again on retaliation, tampering charges
JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas - The embattled Johnson County sheriff is back in jail on charges of retaliation and tampering with evidence.
Johnson County Sheriff Arrested
Johnson County Sheriff Adam King's mugshot after being arrested again on July 31, 2026.
What's new:
Sheriff Adam King was indicted on the new charges on Thursday.
He is accused of retaliating against his chief deputy, who was a whistleblower in a separate sexual harassment case involving the sheriff.
This is the second time Sheriff King has been indicted on the allegations. The previous indictment resulted in a mistrial earlier this month.
If convicted in a new trial, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Mistrial Declared
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mistrial declared in Johnson County Sheriff Adam King's official oppression trial
A mistrial was declared in the trial of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King after a jury deadlocked on charges of official oppression, sexual harassment, and witness retaliation.
What we know:
A mistrial was declared on July 7 after jurors deliberated for two days but were unable to come to a decision.
After the trial, King told reporters he was happy to be home with his friends and family.
"We always felt confident that there would not be a conviction, and it was the outcome that we hoped for," said William G. Mason, a defense attorney for King.
James Saulter, King's accuser, held a different tone after the mistrial declaration.
"We just have to live with our justice system, and I am good with that. We will live to fight another day. I am OK with it, and we will regroup and see what comes next."
Mistrial declared in criminal retaliation trial of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King
A mistrial was declared Tuesday in the criminal proceedings of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, who is accused of retaliating against his former top deputy after the deputy reported sexual harassment allegations against the sheriff.
Johnson County Sheriff's Trial
Dig deeper:
The case stemmed from testimony by former Chief Deputy James Saulter, who told jurors he was placed on administrative leave and ultimately terminated after taking a female employee’s complaints to the Texas Rangers. According to Saulter, the employee alleged that King routinely sexually harassed her.
Prosecutors called more than 20 witnesses to testify against King.
The defense rested its case without calling any witnesses. Instead, King’s attorneys argued that the disciplinary actions taken against Saulter were unrelated to the whistleblowing report. The defense pointed out to the jury that Saulter was already under internal investigation for allegedly falsifying timesheets at the time of his dismissal.
King did not testify on his own behalf during the trial.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'Do ungodly things to her': Johnson Co Sheriff indicted
A Johnson County sheriff was arrested after he was indicted on corruption charges. He is accused of sexually harassing multiple female employees over the last year.
The backstory:
King was initially arrested on Aug. 27, 2025, and was charged with one misdemeanor and two felonies for official oppression, sexual harassment and retaliation against a witness.
He was indicted several days later. King’s indictment accused him of sexually harassing multiple female employees at the sheriff’s office.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, court records, and past news coverage.