Introduction to the Case
Roughly 200 Johnson County citizens gathered Tuesday night at a conference hall in Cleburne to express support for the county’s embattled sheriff. Sheriff Adam King was indicted last week on two felony counts of retaliating against a witness and one misdemeanor count of abuse of office, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram previously reported. King placed himself on administrative leave after being indicted.
Allegations Against Sheriff King
Core to the case are allegations that King made repeated and unwelcome sexually charged remarks toward female employees and showed favoritism to women who spent time alone with him, according to the indictments. On one occasion, King is accused of instructing a female employee to remove her sweater, which was covering a V-neck blouse, according to the indictment. He told the employee that she would need to “disrobe” before he would sign any documents, which was a task required for her job. The sheriff also told her, “If you keep losing weight, you’re going to make me do some ungodly things to you,” according to the indictment.
Community Support for Sheriff King
At the meeting Tuesday night, King’s supporters split into three groups to plan how best to support him: one group focused on prayer needs, another on organizing financial help for King’s legal fees and the third on putting together a “PR strategy.” Uniting everyone present, though, was the belief that the allegations against King are “untrue.” Vernon Castles, a Cleburne resident and close friend of King’s, called the meeting without the sheriff’s permission or presence because he was “unable to be silent any longer,” Castles said in opening remarks.
Defense of Sheriff King
“Sheriff King is a consummate law enforcement professional, and these allegations are without merit,” Castles said, adding that he intended to call on the courts to toss the indictment against King and for the FBI to investigate the charges. Castles portrayed the charges against King as an effort by Johnson County District Attorney Tim Goode to “circumvent the democratic process” and install a chief deputy as sheriff. “We look forward to the truth clearing his name,” Castles said before stepping away from the podium to lead the small group on prayer strategies.
Community Reaction
In that group, one attendee expressed frustration that local churches seemed to want to avoid taking a side on the issue. Tuesday’s event, originally advertised as taking place in a church parking lot roughly a mile from the conference hall, was moved because the church did not want to be affiliated with it, a church employee told the Star-Telegram. Members of multiple churches in Cleburne have volunteered to open prayer rooms for the sheriff or put his name in the Sunday prayer bulletin. “All these people here have one thing in common,” Castles said. “Jesus Christ and Adam King.”
Financial Support for Sheriff King
The coalition seeking to help King and his wife pay for legal fees discussed a defense fund set up at a local bank. A GoFundMe previously set up by King’s wife, which had raised nearly $10,000, was disabled for an unknown reason, organizer Ben Oefinger said. The money from the GoFundMe will be refunded to the donors, who will hopefully deposit the refund into the defense fund at the bank, Oefinger said.
Concerns of Unjust Persecution
For attendee Amy Diamond, the biggest concern is “unjust persecution,” she said. Diamond said she is praying for God to soften the hearts of King’s accusers and to allow the truth to come out. “We have always been a Christian community that has always helped each other,” Diamond said. “This has put a black eye on our community and we’ve never been viewed as this.”
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