Austin Democrats Rally Behind DA Garza Amidst Ousting Efforts
Austin, Texas — Travis County District Attorney José Garza Faces Ousting Petition
In a move that roused local political waves, several Austin-area Democrats have staunchly disavowed an effort to remove Travis County District Attorney José Garza from his elected office. Initiated under a recently passed law aimed at “rogue” prosecutors, this effort at ousting has been met with condemnation by both local citizens and governing bodies.
Last week, a petition calling for Garza’s removal from office was filed by Travis County resident Mary Elizabeth Dupuis, accusing him of perpetrating “incompetency and official misconduct”. Subsequent to this, a judge from outside Travis County has advanced the endeavor, appointing an attorney to represent the state of Texas further in this matter.
In response, Garza, who claimed the Democratic ticket for his re-election in March, stated, “Every day, our office works to bring justice to Travis County and keep people safe… And now, their allies are wasting taxpayer money trying to undermine the decision of the voters of Travis County. They failed once, and they’ll fail again.“
Local Democrats Stand with DA Garza
Congressman Lloyd Doggett, along with Texas House Democrats, denounced this maneuver as a blatant attack on the democratic process during a press conference on Monday. Congressman Doggett, defending the District Attorney, stated, “You don’t have to agree with every decision of Jose Garza, in fact, you don’t have to agree with any decision that Jose Garza has made as District Attorney to know that this is wrong.”
The House Bill 17 Controversy
Last year, Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 17 into law, creating a system to remove local prosecutors and district attorneys perceived as negligent in upholding the law. Primarily supported by Republicans, this law was reportedly devised to deal with urban-area prosecutors who decline to prosecute low-level drug offenses or crimes related to Texas’ ban on abortions.
Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, elucidated, “When you have someone that’s actually going out onto the campaign trail and making commitments that they’re not going to prosecute laws that are existing… that’s what HB 17 is designed to do, is to remove those campaign speeches from the responsibility of the office of district attorney in carrying out laws in the state of Texas“.
Legal Implications and The Path Forward
Austin Kaplan, an Austin-area labor attorney present at Monday’s press conference, indicated that it is too soon to comment on possible legal action regarding the constitutionality of HB 17. He stated, “We’re early days of course, there will have to be a defense mounted, but no one has yet looked at the constitutionality of HB 17“.
As the political tremors continue to be felt and the outcome of these proceedings remains uncertain, it is clear that Austin’s Democratic community stands firmly behind DA Garza as he faces this challenge.