Judge issues no punishment in Fort Worth mayor, councilman’s contempt of court hearings

A judge ordered no fines or other punishment at contempt of court hearings for Fort Worth’s mayor and a city councilman after they made comments about the Aaron Dean case before the trial was finished.

Mayor Mattie Parker did not attend Wednesday’s hearing in 396th District Court. Judge George Gallagher said Parker came to court on Tuesday instead because she had a conflict. Councilman Chris Nettles was at the Wednesday afternoon hearing, which lasted about two minutes.

After receiving apologies from Parker and Nettles, Gallagher did not find them in contempt of court.

A jury found Dean, a former Fort Worth police officer, guilty of manslaughter on Dec. 15 for the killing of Atatiana Jefferson and sentenced him on Dec. 20 to more than 11 years in prison. The day of the guilty verdict, Nettles and Parker made public statements about the case. Gallagher had ordered Nettles and Parker to attend a hearing Wednesday at noon for speaking despite a gag order in the case.

After the hearing, Nettles made a brief statement. He apologized to the community and the judge for his comments and said it would not happen again. He also thanked the Fort Worth community for its support. Several community members attended Wednesday’s hearing in support of the councilman, who has been outspoken about the importance of reaching justice in the Dean case.

“This is over as of today,” Nettles said.

Parker sent a statement after the hearing on Wednesday.

“As Mayor, I felt that I had a great responsibility to communicate to the Fort Worth community following a verdict around a tragedy that deeply impacted so many in our city,” she said in the statement. “I respect Judge Gallagher’s responsibility to ensure a just and fair trial, and I appreciate that we have found resolution on this issue.”

Contempt of court can be defined as an act that is disrespectful to the court or an action that obstructs the administration of justice. Contempt of court charges in Texas district courts can carry a fine with a maximum of $500 or jail time for a maximum of six months.

Dean, then a Fort Worth police officer, was arrested and charged with murder in October 2019 for fatally shooting Jefferson, a 28-year-old Black woman, in her home while responding to a neighbor’s call about open doors at the house on East Allen Avenue. About two weeks later, Judge David Hagerman, who was then overseeing the case, implemented a gag order that prohibited lawyers and others directly involved in Dean’s trial from speaking publicly about the case until it was over.

Jacqueline Craig, whose 2016 arrest went viral and sparked outcries of racial bias in policing, attended the hearing in support of Nettles. She said Nettles has been a voice for the community and she is happy with the hearing’s outcome. Regarding what she hopes for in terms of police reform, Craig said she wants to see more police support in the community.

“What I would love to see happen is (the police) actually getting out in the community, engaging, feeling some of what we feel and showing support that they don’t show,” she said. “Versus them ‘backing the blue,’ I need them to back us as taxpayers paying them for their job.”