FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Councilmember Chris Nettles aren't being punished over violating a gag order in the Aaron Dean trial last month.
Both Parker and Nettles appeared before Judge George Gallagher this week - Parker on Tuesday and Nettles on Wednesday - in "show-cause" hearings over the incident.
Parker and Nettles had issued statements after Dean was convicted on a manslaughter charge in the case. But the statements potentially violated a gag order in the case, as Dean had not yet been sentenced.
After dismissing Parker and Nettles without punishment this week, Gallagher said, "I want everything in this Aaron Dean case to be finished."
Dean, a former Fort Worth police officer, was sentenced to 11 years, 10 months and 12 days in prison in the on-duty killing of Atatiana Jefferson at her home in Fort Worth in October of 2019.
Dean's guilty verdict was reached after five days of testimony and more than 13 hours of deliberation. He was then taken into custody and transported to a Tarrant County jail and ultimately state prison.