A visiting federal judge has reversed a change of venue in the high-stakes removal hearing for Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo, moving the case out of Houston and back to the Corpus Christi Federal Courthouse.
Initially, the hearing was set for May 13 in Corpus Christi federal court, when a temporary restraining order was set to expire; but U.S. District Judge George Hanks issued a new TRO, and moved the hearing to Monday, May 18 in Houston.
On Thursday, the judge notified attorneys for both the mayor and the city that the hearing is now scheduled for Monday, May 18.
The venue shift is the latest development in a rapidly evolving legal battle that has gripped Corpus Christi’s city government for weeks.
The removal proceedings were triggered on April 14, when five city council members voted to advance a petition seeking Guajardo’s removal from office. Council members Carolyn Vaughn, Gil Hernandez, Sylvia Campos, Kaylynn Paxson and Eric Cantu voted in favor of moving forward. Council members Roland Barrera and Mark Scott voted against it. Guajardo and Council Member Everett Roy abstained.
Earlier this month, attorneys for the mayor filed a motion demanding those same five council members recuse themselves from the impeachment proceedings before a trial even begins. The motion argues that because Vaughn, Hernandez, Campos, Paxson and Cantu voted to advance the impeachment, they cannot serve as impartial jurors — particularly given that they are also witnesses in the case.
Guajardo has since taken the fight to federal court, filing a lawsuit challenging the entire removal process. The suit names the City of Corpus Christi as a defendant, along with all five council members who voted to advance the petition. The lawsuit raises significant questions about due process and whether the removal proceedings comply with the city charter.
The case has raised broader questions about the legal framework governing mayoral removal in Corpus Christi, with the proceedings currently entangled in federal court as both sides argue over the rules that should govern the process.
With the hearing now set to take place in Corpus Christi, both sides are expected to appear in federal court Monday, May 18, where the judge will hear arguments in the case.