LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A judge ruled to uphold Jason Corley as office holder for Lubbock County Commissioner for Precinct 2 on Friday.
Arguments were heard Friday morning over whether Corley should be reinstated after Lubbock County Judge Curtis Parrish removed Corley from office earlier this month.
Corley filed a lawsuit to get the office back after Parrish swore in Mark Meurer to finish out the rest of Corley’s term. Texas 237th District Court Judge Les Hatch recused himself from this case.
Visiting Senior Judge Patrick Pirtle, formerly of the 7th Court of Appeals in Amarillo, heard the case in downtown Lubbock.
Judge Parrish found Corley triggered an automatic resignation when he announced an exploratory committee to look into a run for Congress back in mid-November.
Under the state’s “Resign-to-Run” law, an officeholder gives up that office if they declare candidacy for another office more than a year and 30 days before their term ends.
Corley claims he didn’t resign because he didn’t declare his candidacy until December.
Potter County Attorney Scott Brumley filed to intervene on Corley’s behalf in this case, representing the state of Texas.
Corley sued Meurer asking for a state judge to declare him the current officeholder.
Brumley’s filing stated Corley was still the lawful officeholder.
Friday morning’s arguments focused on the process of Corley’s lawsuit, with the legal team representing Meurer focusing on whether Corley properly filed his lawsuit without the help of a district attorney.
Judge Parrish testified about his decision to remove Corley from office, telling the court his interpretation of the “Resign-to-Run” law and his focus on the exploratory committee email.
He says the “totality of content” of the email suggested he was a “candidate in fact”, including “Corley for Congress” images and email addresses.
Judge Parrish also testified about a message he says Corley’s campaign sent out in mid-November identifying himself as a candidate for Congress, but Judge Parrish said the text message wasn’t public and was never meant to be public.
We’ll continue to update this story as more details are released.
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