On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Longview News-Journal reported that the Hawkins City Council voted 3-2 to terminate Municipal Judge Mitch Henderson, sparking controversy and raising questions about the legality of the decision and the conduct of city officials.

The official reason cited for Henderson’s termination is the absence of a functioning police department in Hawkins, which has led to a lack of new tickets requiring adjudication. Mayor Deb Rushing stated that without a police force to issue citations, the need for a municipal judge is obsolete. However, Henderson disputes this justification, arguing that numerous old fines remain unresolved and require judicial attention.

Adding fuel to the fire, Hawkins resident Sharonda Harguess presented emails during the council meeting, alleging that Henderson had misused his judicial authority. Harguess claimed the emails revealed instances where Henderson threatened a resident with state imprisonment and improperly instructed City Secretary Mandy Thomas to sign his name to official documents. Henderson has refuted these allegations, asserting that the emails were taken out of context.

Henderson, a former Gregg County justice of the peace and Longview mayor, contends that the council’s decision to terminate him violates both the city charter and state law. He argues that judges can only be removed for cause, such as misconduct, and are entitled to a hearing before termination, which he claims he was denied.

Furthermore, Henderson has challenged the legitimacy of Mayor Rushing’s position, citing her brief tenure as a municipal judge in 2024. According to Henderson, Rushing’s acceptance of the judgeship, a second paid government position, automatically forfeited her mayoral office under state law, referencing a 1935 Texas Supreme Court ruling.

Harguess’s public records request for emails between Henderson and City Secretary Thomas yielded nearly 140 pages of correspondence, which she claims demonstrate unethical and potentially illegal behavior by the municipal judge. One email cited by Harguess shows Henderson informing a traffic ticket recipient of the possibility of being sent to Huntsville State Prison to work off the fine, a power municipal judges do not possess. Another email exchange reveals Henderson’s assertive communication with Thomas, including a statement about obtaining a court order to mandate a meeting. Thomas also told council members that Henderson emails her and then calls her if she doesn’t respond immediately and that “He is a bully”.

Place 3 Alderman Eric Maloy voiced opposition to Henderson’s termination, suggesting that a two-thirds majority vote, or four votes, was required for the decision to be valid. The council currently has four members due to a recent overturned election, with Rushing casting the tie-breaking vote in favor of Henderson’s termination.

Henderson was appointed as Hawkins’ municipal judge in February with the aim of resolving the city’s backlog of traffic tickets. The city has been without a city attorney for approximately one year and without a police force since the firing of its last officer in June.

Rushing has described Henderson’s conduct as “very inappropriate,” but maintains that his termination was solely due to the lack of a police department and subsequent absence of court cases. Henderson, however, believes his termination was motivated by certain council members’ concerns about potential scrutiny of their own actions. He also accused Rushing of systematically dismantling law enforcement in the city.

 

 

Source: Longview News-Journal