Petition filed to remove Johnson County Sheriff from office
JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas - The former top deputy at the Johnson County Sheriff's Office is seeking to remove the county sheriff through a petition after already taking him to court this year.
What's New:
James Saulter, the former Chief Deputy with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, has filed a petition to remove Johnson County Sheriff Adam King from his position.
Saulter's petition says Texas local government code allows for an elected official to be removed from office for incompetency and misconduct.
Johnson County Sheriff mistrial
Mistrial declared in Johnson Co. Sheriff's trial
A mistrial has been declared in the Johnson County Sheriff's retaliation trial, meaning a new jury and new trial date will happen in the near future. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
The backstory:
Saulter took King to court earlier this year, with the legal proceedings ending in a mistrial.
The case stemmed from testimony by 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.
Johnson County Sheriff trial: Deputy Chief alleges "witch hunt" after sexual harassment investigation
The criminal trial involving retaliation claims against Johnson County Sheriff Adam King continued on Wednesday, with the county's Deputy Chief testifying about the working conditions he faced under King after reporting sexual harassment claims against him.
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.
Sheriff Adam King
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.
What's next:
The trial process will begin anew following the mistrial declaration. A new jury will be selected for a new trial at a later date that has not been determined.
If convicted, King faces up to ten years in prison.
To remove King from office through Saulter's petition, a jury would have to decide if King should be removed.
The Source: Information in this story comes from Johnson County and previous FOX 4 reporting.