Election
BY JAMES T. NORMAN
After securing Galveston County sheri race, Fullen looks to avoid penalties
L I V E T H E B A Y L I F E
With Jimmy Fullen winning the race for Galveston County sheri , attention will now turn to a hearing expected at some point in 2025 to determine if he will face penalties for allegedly falsifying information related to his job. Current situation Galveston County election results from the Nov. 5 election were o cial as of Nov. 14 and showed Fullen, a Republican, with nearly 62% of the vote in the race for Galveston County sheri . He received 94,870 votes . Fullen is on track to be sworn in early next year as sheri , according to county documents. That will be followed later in the year by a hearing that will recommend whether or not to revoke his peace o cer license, o cials said. However, legal questions surround the upcoming hearing, o cials said. Texas code states the peace o cer license of an elected o cial, such as a sheri , can’t be revoked except for
Jimmy Fullen
Fullen has since appealed the decision and will have a hearing with the Texas State O ce of Administrative Hearings, or SOAH. The hearing was originally scheduled for Jan. 14 but parties in the case requested to move it back in October, according to lings from SOAH. The parties have until Dec. 6 to come up with agreed dates. Explained Texas code states “a person is not eligible to serve as sheri unless the person ... holds an active permanent peace o cer license.” However, that is complicated by state statute that allows TCOLE to revoke the license of an elected o cer only if they are convicted of a felony or the case involves a criminal o ense related to the job. Fullen’s case is not a criminal one, said Gretchen Grigsby, director of the o ce of government relations for TCOLE. Even if Fullen’s license could not be revoked, a lesser penalty, such as a suspension, is still possible but would not result in his removal or a ect his author- ity, Grigsby said. Fullen did not respond to requests for comment by press time on Nov. 19.
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criminal matters. How we got here
In June, the Texas Commis- sion on Law Enforcement, or TCOLE, led a petition to begin the process of revoking Fullen’s license. In lings, o cials stated he failed to disclose information, gave false information or omitted information based on: • His job experience • Being disciplined at work • Accusations of discrimination • Having written complaints about him at work • Failing to disclose prior arrests
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