CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Now that Nueces County Attorney Jenny Dorsey is the lead attorney in a petition to remove Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez from office, the visiting judge in the case is giving her two weeks to re-present the petition in her own words.
The decision came after hours of courtroom discussion Wednesday.
Colby Wiltse, with the group County Citizens Defending Freedom filed the original petition to remove the district attorney over a number of issues, which include official misconduct and incompetency.
However, Dorsey had to agree to join the suit before it could move forward, under state law.
"We are here judge, to represent numerous citations," she said. "We are moving on incompetency, official misconduct, and or failure to give bond."
Corpus Christi attorney Chris Gale, who represented Gonzalez, maintains the the petition has ulterior motives.
"There's been an attack around Texas against district attorneys that maybe have a slant toward abortion issues or transgender issues, and they come under attack because of those things, and that's part of the petition in this case. So I think if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck sometimes, it's a duck," he said.
Retired San Antonio judge David Peeples heard arguments in the case which, by law, has to be heard by a visiting judge.
Gale told Peeples that there is no significant evidence of wrongdoing on Gonzalez's part.
"He is making discretionary calls and there is nothing improper and anything that they are complaining about, except that maybe it's not their management style, maybe it's not the decisions they would want to make," he said.
3NEWS asked Dorsey if the case warranted a trial.
"I don't want to comment on that," she said. "I think the petition speaks for itself," she said.
Once Dorsey resubmits, Peeples will decide if another hearing is necessary.
News Director Wes Wilson contributed to this report
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