Mark Meurer will continue as Lubbock County Commissioner for Precinct 2 – at least until next Friday.
State District Judge Patrick Pirtle denied a temporary restraining order late Wednesday morning to stop Mark Meurer from serving as Lubbock County Commissioner for Precinct 2. However, Pirtle scheduled a hearing to consider the matter on December 19 at 10 a.m.
Jason Corley filed the request Monday – the same day County Judge Curtis Parrish removed him from office. Parrish issued a statement saying Corley automatically resigned from Precinct 2 when he became a “candidate-in-fact” for the congressional seat of outgoing Representative Jodey Arrington. Parrish then swore in Meurer just minutes before Monday’s County Commissioner meeting to the shock of other commissioners.
“I’d like to go back to serving the people of Precinct 2 as soon as possible,” Corley told LubbockLights.com Wednesday.
Corley felt hopeful about the upcoming hearing, saying there is case law on the matter and, “There are several cases that certainly go in my favor.”
Meurer has not responded to an invitation to comment. Parrish said he’d rather wait until after next week’s hearing.
Timing matters
The timing matters because most office holders in Texas cannot announce for a different position more than one year and 30 days before the end of their current terms. If they do, it triggers an automatic resignation.
Corley’s official announcement was December 2. No problem. But Corley issued a press release in mid-November from a ‘Corley for Congress’ email with a ‘Corley for Congress’ logo (left over from his 2016 campaign), which Parrish said supported his decision.
Pirtle – a retired member of the state’s 7th Court of Appeals based in Amarillo – took over when State District Judge Les Hatch removed himself from the case. Corley’s request included a temporary restraining order immediately followed later by a permanent restraining order.
The judge said no.
Pirtle’s ruling said, “The Court finds that exigent circumstances do not exist for the issuance of a temporary restraining order, without notice and hearing.”
So the matter is not settled. Meurer gets a chance to respond and then Pirtle will make a ruling. But Pirtle agreed there is urgency.
“The Court further finds that Corley’s request for an expeditious hearing on his application for temporary injunction is warranted and should be granted,” the order said.
Corley reacts to the ruling
Corley attended a public meeting Wednesday regarding the proposed Expo Center.
“I’m still the commissioner from Precinct 2. Curtis’ ejection of me from the Court is invalid. We’re gonna prove that in court. But I still care about Precinct 2. I still care what happens with the Expo project. So yeah, of course I’m still gonna be there,” Corley said.
LubbockLights.com asked if he would do anything differently if he could go back to November 12 when he sent an email that included the previous campaign logo.
“No, I’ve done everything above board. I mean, you can get sued for anything. A county judge can misuse the law,” Corley said.
“The [county] judge, he’s not after me. He’s after the people of Precinct 2. I’m just in the way,” Corley said.
In Precinct 2
Corley is running for District 19 but planned to finish out his term in Precinct 2, which ends December 31, 2026.
Kevin Pounds, Justin Martin and M. Trey Newton are running in the March Primary on the Republican side for Precinct 2.
Martin started a GoFundMe for Corley on Tuesday.
The page said in part, “My name is Justin Martin, and I am running for county commissioner in Lubbock County. … A fifty-thousand-dollar legal defense was not part of [Corley’s] monthly budget for December. This is an undue cost no one should have to bear by themselves.”
This story was posted as breaking news and updated. We will continue to post updates as needed.
