A pre-trial hearing planned for Wednesday morning has been postponed, after a federal judge denied Mayor Guajardo’s request for a preliminary injunction.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A pre-trial hearing originally planned for Wednesday morning at Council Chambers has been postponed to June 2. The Corpus Christi City Council was set to discuss preliminary matters in the ongoing legal battle to remove Mayor Paulette Guajardo.
It comes after a federal judge denied Mayor Guajardo’s request for a preliminary injunction, saying the court will issue an opinion on short order.
The ruling was given after U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. heard arguments in a pre-trial hearing on May 18, in the legal fight over the planned removal of Mayor Guajardo.
Federal Judge hears arguments in legal battle over Corpus Christi Mayor’s removal
The hearing, held via Zoom, centered on a key legal question: whether the city charter’s removal process applies to the mayor’s office or only to city council members.
Attorneys for Guajardo argued the city charter does not clearly outline a process for removing a mayor, contending the language applies solely to council members. City attorneys countered that the charter’s removal language is broad enough to include the mayor’s office as well.
City attorneys also argued that a removal process is already underway and that, out of fairness to those who filed complaints against Guajardo, it should be allowed to continue.
City Council’s pre-trial hearing is postponed to June 2. 3NEWS will update this story as more information becomes available.