Commissioner J.J. Koch sues Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, calls for his ouster over mask rule
Commissioner J.J. Koch has filed a lawsuit and requested a temporary restraining order against Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, calling for his removal from office after a dispute over masking.
Jenkins instructed a bailiff to remove Koch from a Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday after Koch refused to wear a mask. Jenkins claimed a Texas Supreme Court order gave him authority to mandate masks during the meeting. Koch disagrees and says under an executive order from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Jenkins is not a traditional court judge and can’t do so.
“You clearly expressed your authority to impose a face-covering request for an elected official outside of the governor’s order,” Koch said from a video feed after he was removed from the meeting.
Koch filed the suit and temporary restraining order in Dallas County 116th Civil District Court, asking for a judge to rule that Jenkins must follow Abbott’s order prohibiting counties from requiring masks or vaccines. The suit also calls for Jenkins’ removal “based on incompetency and official misconduct,” according to the court document.
“The enemy is the virus, not each other,” Jenkins said in a prepared statement. “My actions were taken after consultation with local doctors to increase safety for people in attendance.”
Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2021/08/05/dallas-county-commissioner-jj-koch-sues-judge-clay-jenkins-calls-for-his-ouster-over-mask-rule/
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