Williamson County Judge Charged After Twitter Clash With Sheriff

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County Judge Dan A. Gattis was hit with a misdemeanor charge this week stemming from a dispute with the sheriff played out on Twitter.

First, some background: Chody has long been critical of machinations at the commissioners court over which Gattis has the helm. A prolific tweeter, he invariably lets out his frustrations via Twitter. Just this past week, he questioned the county's response to what he categorized as a sewage leak in a hall between the jail and justice center.

“A county that empowers its (department heads) more than their elected officials only divide the effectiveness and full potential of that county’s abilities,” he wrote in a Friday tweet. The week before, came this Chody tweet: “Demands of the Wilco Sheriff’s Office are not only growing due to population growth but were poorly maintained by past admin and other factors. This budget year staffing is our #1 priority.”

Yet the bad blood between the two conservatives isn't new. Clashes over the sheriff's county-provided budget came to a head in 2017, when Chody requested $140,000 in overtime pay and only got $60,000 from the commissioners.

Gattis finally had enough. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the judge let his anger get the better of him, leading to the charge on Wednesday. The day before, according to the report, Gattis is said to have confronted Chody's chief deputy at the commissioners court while telling him: "‘Tell that sheriff if he doesn’t quit tweeting, I’m going zero his budget out," the deputy, Tim Ryle told the newspaper.

Incredulous, Ryle asked the judge if he meant those words. Gattis' reply: "Yes. Tell him to stop tweeting about me and my people."

That threat prompted Williamson County prosecutors to file a misdemeanor official oppression charge against Gattis, the newspaper reported. Gattis was reportedly issued a summons to appear in court in lieu of being arrested. If found guilty, he could receive up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

According to a biography found on the Williamson County Commissioners Court website, Gattis was sworn into office on Jan. 1, 2007. He's opted not to run again, and is currently on his final term.

Gattis did not respond to the Statesman's requests for comment.

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Photo of Judge Dan A. Gattis via Williamson County Commissioners Court website, photo of Robert Chody via Williamson County Sheriff's Office