With a college degree in psychology, it seemed a good fit. One by one, the little white pills didnt stem her torment. Go back to living in her dark duplex? Inside the clinic, two staff members led Hawk back to her assigned room. Both felt that it had been one of the best days of their lives. padding-bottom: 5px; Looking back, both women see that meeting as the real beginning of their close friendship. background-color: red; Formed in 2021, we provide fact-based, non-partisan news. Madson would scribble them all down, then go back to her office and draft extensive outlines and to do lists. She spent two days there, sick and vomiting, her body convulsing as she went through opioid withdrawal. Hawk, this is a job you have trained your whole life for. She started her Lexus SUV and steered it through the empty streets. Balido ended up writing a personal check for the painter. padding-top: 8px; As Hawk wrestled with stress in her personal and professional life, an addiction to pain pills grew worse. By most accounts, the office ran smoothly for about the next two months. non-profit organization funded by charitable support and advertising. width: 50%; She had planned to become a clinical psychologist but changed her mind after working in a mental health clinic. .widget-row.heading { Dallas Black population is 24% but made up 64% of prosecution referrals for the same offenses. Listen, Hawk said, according to Balido. But she declined to talk about her reasons for firing, or asking for the resignations of, specific employees, calling them personnel matters. They met regularly at Francis Highland Park home, a group of a half-dozen people that included Woodlief, Creuzot, and Jonathan Neerman, former chairman of the county Republican Party. })(); See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection. The next morning, she settled on the living-room couch, her bare feet tucked beneath her. } max-height: 580px; Its county seat is Dallas, which is also the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest city in the United States. But the similarities stopped there. She declined to talk about her marriage for this story, but friends say the union was troubled from the start. When Hawk told him that she wanted to leave, he made her promise to stay in treatment, to go to every group session, to try. padding-left: 16px; The lousy weather might keep Watkins supporters at home. font-style: italic; .inner_percentage.Democratic { We areno longer prosecuting first-time offenders in misdemeanor marijuana cases, thereby eliminating the racial disparity in arrests and prosecution. } A couple of her closest supporters had put together the event as a casual fundraiser to help her pay off some of her campaign debt. She accused him of acquiring a key from a locksmith, breaking into her house, and stealing a compromising photograph of her taking a shot off the belly of a bartender during a bachelorette party. They went through every piece of clothing, removing all the drawstrings, anything she could use to hurt herself. Woodlief could see her friend was still struggling. Too, Hawk had left behind a structured environment inside the Frank Crowley Courts Building, where staff arranged her calendar, and a crowded court docket provided a continuous stream of clearly defined objectives. Figure it out, Balido says Hawk told her. .inner_percentage { complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. At first, Wirskye declined to discuss his departure publicly. Ballotpedia features 395,557 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. She seemed rattled, confused. Youve got to take medication for it. Balido shook her head no. Someone had come in asking whether she was monitoring Hawks communications. position: relative; During her divorce, she had moved into a duplex in Highland Park. var nTimer = setInterval(function() { I cant live like this anymore., Woodlief cried, too. Of those 24, she won 23 convictions. The impact in 2019 of each departments changes vary from city to city, Metzger said, and will publish in a future Deason Center report. color: white; Dallas, TX 75218. I intend to do everything I can to make that happen.. margin-right: 12px; Vote for me!. But most around the courthouse knew the outline of Hawks life. The Land Rover pulled up at the Menninger Clinic, a collection of brick buildings connected by winding sidewalks and well-tended beds. z-index:1; .widget-row { She told them about the pills and the blow-dryer cord. She would stay out late dancing at the Rio Room. She hadnt showered. John Creuzot for DA Campaign And, for the first time, she confirmed going to rehab after taking pain pills to treat a back condition. After about two weeks, I started thinking, Thats weird. After the watch party at Meso Maya, past midnight, Woodlief and Hawk returned to Woodliefs house. Too, Hawk had left behind a structured environment inside the Frank Crowley Courts Building, where staff arranged her calendar, and a crowded court docket provided a continuous stream of clearly defined objectives. As compared to their representation in each citys population, Black people were grossly overrepresented among those who were accused of low-level drug offenses, the reports authors said. He aimed to address disparities in arrests and prosecutions for. Hed recently been promoted to supervisor. by subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Her brother is seven years older. Incumbent Faith Johnson advanced from the Republican primary for Dallas County District Attorney on March 6, 2018. position: absolute; At the beginning of his career, Creuzot served for seven years as a Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and Chief Felony Prosecutor. width: 100% !important; } font-weight: bold; Her marriage unraveled, and Hawk moved into a spare bedroom in Woodliefs house. They had their own ambitions and their own scores with Watkins to settle. } She went through Hawks purse, pulling out bottles of hydrocodone and Oxycontin. I dont think she really grasped the magnitude of what was about to happen, Milner says. Hawk popped into their offices, noticing how many framed photographs they hadballgames and birthday parties, happy family lives unfolding at home. I can honestly say that.. She later wished she had stepped away as Hawks spokesperson and instead turned over that role to the co-owner of her firm. width: 100%; One of his last clients as a defense lawyer had a misdemeanor marijuana case that prosecutors dismissed after he donated food to the North Texas Food Bank and passed a couple of drug tests, Creuzot said. margin-bottom:0px; height: 56px; Dallas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Shooks presence at the table was significant; he represented a past that would come to bear on the election. } The political consultant who helped her navigate that switch and get re-elected: Craig Watkins wife, Tanya. Next time Im the last person in this office to know about something happening in this office, someone is going to get fired., Okay, Balido said. div.oneoff-scrollbox.short { height:250px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } I dont want to work with these people, she said years later at a legal conference, to laughs. He assumed office in 2019. } She was a formidable prosecutor but a quiet, understated worker. Man, youre looking a little rough, he said. vertical-align: middle; The three went back 20 years. For weeks, shed been missing meetings, canceling lunches, skipping appearances. If you enjoyed this article, please support us today! I ask for your support so we can keep up the good work. display: inline-block; Balido studied Hawk, trying to absorb what was happening. Political advertising paid by John Creuzot Campaign, Albert Black, Treasurer. Seeking to extend the success of court rehabilitation programs, Creuzot established the Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility Re-Entry Court in 2001, a program dedicated to helping formerly-incarcerated individuals adjust to normal life and work. She had always dreamed about being Dallas County district attorney. Hawk learned that the Dallas Morning News was preparing to break the story about her rehab. Mulder urged her to go to inpatient rehab, and Hawk said she would. Toggle Navigation. width: 100%; text-align: center; text-align: left; She wore a black dress, looking polished in her pumps and pearls, standing onstage before a crowd at the Frank Crowley Courts Building. Hawks relationship with her first assistant, Wirskye, had worsened. Not only was Shooks loss to Watkins a personal defeat, the election cycle as a whole had been a blow to the Republican Party. Hawk says that at this point, she was still struggling with how to get control of the office. Our central question is: Can a district attorneys non-prosecution policy change policing and/or can it change equity in the courts? Pamela Metzger, director of the Deason Center, said. } Another public crisis. Hawk is outgoing and looks more like a Barbie doll, with silk tops and dangling earrings. Friends suspect that Hawk was efficient on the bench, in part, because of her attention deficit disorder. She had one refill left. That was never a serious consideration, in my mind, Francis says. Hawk spent four weeks at The Meadows, seeing a therapist, attending group sessions. position: absolute; She started her Lexus SUV and steered it through the empty streets. You know youre probably going to lose, Woodlief told her. Worried about an October surprise, a campaign-killing bombshell dropped right before the election, he says he asked Woodlief about the letter. $(".collapse-all").on('click', () => { width: 100% Theyre the ones that drove the cops out of black communities. display: inline; margin: 0px 10px; But as Woodlief joined the traffic on Interstate 45, headed back to Dallas, she knew her friend had only so much time. .inner_percentage.Republican { font-size: 12px; Ive got to get out of here, she told Woodlief. He released a statement, saying the district attorneys office deserved a leader who is stable and competent.. His background also includes seven years of service as a Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and Chief Felony Prosecutor as well as a criminal defense lawyer while in private practice. Hawk promoted Messina Madson to be her new top assistant. But when Hawk was out of the office, Wirskye would slip over to see Balido. What were really excited to talk about in these coming reports is there may not be just one answer, she added. a[aria-expanded=true] .fa-chevron-right { display: none; } vertical-align: top; All the men wanted to date her, says one lawyer who worked there. Hawk walked into the visitors room. PO Box 181268 We have made progress on every front to achieve needed criminal justice reform. She pored through the files and took 24 cases to trial in one year, a workload virtually unheard of at the courthouse. Two Dallas police officers, one current and one former, as well as a Garland police officer accused of assaulting demonstrators during George Floyd protests in . You need to see it through.. I believed her.. width: 35px !important; } } .panel-heading:hover { cursor: pointer;} Hawk sat in a chair as the two staffers snapped on rubber gloves and emptied her suitcase onto the bed. This version of Judge Hawk, the attractive blonde in the tailored suit, charming a crowd in a hotel conference room in Austin, was the one people had come to know at the courthouse. She didnt yet know how much she would publicly share about her treatment, so she wanted to be careful about what she told Madson. Appellez nous au +226 64 75 65 15 | miller and carter sevenoaks car park. Will you help me?, No, Woodlief said. Creuzot is well-known for his innovative, pioneering work on drug courts and evidence-based sentencing. 8:30 AM on Nov 2, 2022 CDT Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot ran for the office in 2018 with plans to make the criminal justice system more fair. Hawk checked herself in to the psych ward for detox. Nor did she want to have a discussion about the money with Hawk. Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The next day, her mother and brother drove her to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. The legacy of Creuzot's pioneering work is the expansive growth of diversion courts in Dallas County and beyond. They sat in the living room, talking and laughing. (function() { One friendly nurse left a sticky note on her bathroom mirror, filled with drawings of miniature hearts. I was scared. She drove a mile to a brick house on West Beverly Drive, parked in back, and called her friend and political consultant, asleep inside. Woodlief said Hawk was on summer break.. When Hawk told Woodlief that she was considering hiring another consultant, Woodlief fumed, then burst into tears. Hawk and her husband boarded a flight to Arizona. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the first female Dallas County district attorney, Francis said to a crowd that included Hawks parents and Woodlief. } .votebox { I promise., For the next few days, Hawk mostly stayed in bed. Dont let this bed consume you.. She said her team welcomes the departments to share their data. Will you do it with me? Hawk asked. She sat on the living-room couch, watching episodes of. She told reporters that Hawks absence was nothing to worry about. She said she just wanted to put the past behind her. A doctor prescribed me medicine. The bombshell never dropped. Truth be told, Woodlief doesnt enjoy the political campaigns as much as she once did. background-color: #dac113; Arrests of Black people for marijuana possession in six Dallas County cities far outpaced those of other races in 2018, according to a report from SMUs Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, which will study what effect District Attorney John Creuzots policy change on prosecuting marijuana cases has. Creuzot has also blocked efforts to reveal how many such officers his office knows about. But Hawk wanted her for the post, saying she needed someone she could trust. If the district attorneys office decides to dismiss a case then thats on the district attorneys office.. Her brain shifted rapidly from one problem to the next, an asset for a judge trying to clear a docket. office. But then her eyes filled with tears. }, 100); Wirskye was at work one Saturday morning when he heard Hawks heels come rapid-fire down the hallway. His current term ends on December 31, 2026. And now, without her job providing the anchor it had for so many years, her personal problems took on a new urgency. The first study, published earlier this month, uses 2018 as a baseline to measure Creuzots influence. Balido asked if she could resign, and Hawk let her do it. Her hand-picked first assistant, Bill Wirskye, moved in next door. They force her to spend too much time away from her 5-year-old son, whom she is raising as a single mother.

float:right; Also at the table were Creuzot, Hawks father, and a respected criminal defense attorney named Toby Shook. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Hawk says she struggled to find her place at the helm.  U.S. Congress | Wirskye had been Hawks first supervisor in the district attorneys office. Two days later, Mulder picked her up from the hospital, and they went to dinner. It is the second-most populous county in Texas and the ninth-most populous in the United States. Her friend was tucked safely inside the clinic, where she couldnt hurt herself. There is much work still to do, and I am seeking another term to bring strong leadership and vision to the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. Brian Corrigan remembers being a young prosecutor nervous about one of his first cases. Hawk had her own doubts about Woodlief and scheduled a meeting, intending to let her go. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution {  She would have to resign from the bench and give up her salary. That means a safer county, and a drop in violent crime. They stayed up talking past 4:30, the rain still falling outside. 		.race_header, .results_text, .results_table_container, .votebox_legend {  I was just really, really scared..  His goal is protecting the community from the most dangerous criminals while instituting reforms that make the system fairer, save taxpayer dollars, help individuals escape the cycle of crime, and have overall public safety benefits for the community. On many issues, we are seeing results, notably on decriminalizing mental health and homelessness, and implementing commonsense approaches to low-level offenses. We love you, he told her. 	.results_row td:first-child { Arrests of Black people for marijuana possession in six Dallas County cities far outpaced those of other races in 2018, according to a report from SMU's Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, which will study what effect District Attorney John Creuzot's policy change on prosecuting marijuana cases has. She was tired of keeping that secret, wanted to tell her office about it, put it squarely in her past. Balido says she would appear manic one day. At 47, she is now president of the firm, which mostly handles public relations and public affairs for companies such as Walmart, Microsoft, and Uber. p.survey-question {font-weight:bold;} Later, Woodlief began receiving calls from attorneys around town who had learned about the rehab. She says she started taking more and more pain pills, spiraling into a deep depression.             
 Nights like that bonded the attorneys together, at times giving the courthouse the feel of a college fraternity. Hawk seemed calm. He was a bail bondsman whod applied for a job as a Dallas County prosecutor and been turned down. Hawk seemed calm. 	.election_results_text { 		background-color: #db0000; Over a year and a half ago, I decided I did not want to take it anymore, and I got help to quit taking it and havent taken any since, she said. 		background-color: #003388; John Creuzot - Democrat for District Attorney | Donate RSVP FOR THE FALL RECEPTION Fall Reception for District Attorney John Creuzot Tuesday, September 27, 5:30-7:00pm Tower Club - Dallas 1601 Elm Street, 48th Floor, Dallas, Texas 75201 Sponsor levels: Platinum $5000, Gold $2500, Silver $1000, Bronze $500, Copper $250, Supporter $100 Hawk sat in a chair as the two staffers snapped on rubber gloves and emptied her suitcase onto the bed. No spam, ever. But in the coming days, Hawk felt despair. Instead of going home after work, she sometimes went to movies.  But she should present a clear narrative. degree in Philosophy from North Texas State University in 1978, and then obtained a J.D. Woodlief sat at the head of the table, Hawk to her left. Were behind you.. I sound insensitive, and I dont want to, but they will use their mental illness as a crutch, Hawk told an audience at a judicial conference in 2012. In one incident, he rear-ended a driver on the Dallas North Tollway, used more than $60,000 in forfeiture funds from his office to pay for the damage, and had the other driver sign a non-disclosure agreement to cover up the accident. John Creuzot  defeated Elizabeth Davis Frizell in the  Democratic primary for Dallas County District Attorney on March 6, 2018. He considered an intervention. 	} Then, as election day neared, an anonymous one-page letter arrived at Republican precincts across town. 
. As the days moved forward, they began learning how to do their jobs. But as Hawk explained her situation, Woodlief felt sympathetic, she says.  Hawk says that at this point, she was still struggling with how to get control of the office. 		text-align: left !important; 		top: 2px; She would finally be free of her secret. After about two weeks, I started thinking, Thats weird. Days later, Hawk summoned him into her office. If Hawk truly believed he had done that, he told her, she should call the police. The same day, Hawk fired another man, Jonathan Hay, who worked in the offices technology department. , the election was called. Absent her getting caught in a compromising situation with an animal, I couldnt think of what possible justification she could have for firing her.. But Woodlief and Francis disagreed. Counties | Watkins is a son of southern Dallas and lives in DeSoto with his wife and children. 	@media screen and (max-width: 350px) {  2023, John Creuzot Campaign,
 Another top lieutenant, Jennifer Balido, was across the hall. I didnt know what was going to happen to me. 		padding-left: 0; Turner Legal Association Outstanding Jurist Award- Mothers Against Teen Violence Community Service Award- Dallas Observer Best Criminal Judge Award- Rev. But Woodlief also knew that a sudden resignation would likely create more problems than it solved. Her father worked for 40 years as an engineer for Southwestern Bell; her mother was an interior decorator. Any opposing candidate would have to run as a Republican. Researchers examined the racial composition of people whose cases were referred for prosecution in Dallas, Garland, Grand Prairie, Irving, Mesquite and Richardson. On the Sunday after Hawks first full week, August 9, Woodlief went to Houston to see her. His office doesn't prosecute theft of 'personal items' worth under $750 of the good were . season in 2013. union police department ori number On the other hand, she was angry with Wirskye. Craft a media strategy. 		overflow-x: auto; But he called Woodlief with a recommendation for another candidate: Judge Susan Hawk. $('.collapse').collapse('show'); John Creuzot is the District Attorney of Dallas County, Texas and a nationally-recognized leader with more than 30 years of experience in criminal law and criminal justice reform. John Creuzot was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moved with his family to Houston, Texas at the age of 9. 	.votebox-results-cell--number { 		padding-bottom: 3px; She would often see Balido and Wirskye meeting behind closed doors. As the weeks passed, Hawks strange behavior continued. She would work to convince everyone she was healthy. 		font-style: italic; She cant recall. He said that if researchers had compared marijuana cases for Grand Prairie residents, the study would have found Black people represented 23.6% of the marijuana cases filed, almost matching the citys population. She had a million ideaspeople to meet, churches to visit, donors to persuadebut organizing these tasks seemed to elude her. 	padding-left: 10px; He aimed to address disparities in. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); They are also for defunding the police and ending qualified immunity. her resignation letter to Governor Rick Perry in September 2013. 			.votebox-scroll-container { 	text-align: center;  Had enough due diligence been done when recruiting Hawk? She missed being a judge. Mike was surprised at her appearance. 	font-weight: bold; 		background-color: #003388; They sat at a conference table on the sixth floor of a McKinney Avenue office building, the headquarters of Woodliefs public relations firm, Allyn Media. 		color: #6db24f; 		width: 50px; 	font-weight: bold; 	margin: auto; Hawk struggled with her secret, wondering whom she should confide in. District Attorney John Creuzot has earned a national reputation for his innovative work on drug courts, criminal justice reform and evidence-based sentencing. $('#candidate-connection-email-106932').on('click', () => { ga('send', 'event', 'surveycta', 'surveycta-click-email'); }); Women tend to vote in larger numbers than men and generally support other female candidates. div.oneoff-scrollbox.regular {  height:400px;  overflow:scroll;  margin:20px;  padding:10px;  border:1px solid gray; } She suspected he had leaked the story to the paper. The Dallas Express is a non-profit organization funded by charitable support and advertising. 		border-bottom: 1px solid grey; Woodlief kept crying, struggling to find something to say. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay?  She was particularly interested in John Creuzot, a black Democrat who had been a respected state district judge for 21 years. 		font-weight: 200; 		background-color: #f9d334; Outside of her close circle of friends, she did not tell anyone she was going to rehab. . But Creuzot didnt like the idea of switching parties to run. a[aria-expanded=false] .fa-chevron-down { display: none; } Hawk looked at her, partly amused, partly annoyed. Maybe it wouldnt have come to this., A nurse gave her a Trazodone to help her sleep, and she crawled into a ball and cried. On her fifth day, a Monday, she reluctantly joined the other residents for daily classes, such as Shame Resilience, Suicide Resilience, and stress management. In yearbook photographs, she has teased bangs and a dark tan. 		font-size: 12px; They needed to get to know Susan Hawk.. The week before, she had spent three days at Hawks house, sitting beside her bed, worried about what Hawk might do if she were left alone. 750 North St.Paul St. 	} They are close, but he was one of the people she had shut out of her life. Watkins didnt do well. 	.votebox-results-metadata-p { What did she need to manage, and what did she need to leave in others hands? Outside of her close circle of friends, she did not tell anyone she was going to rehab. } Wirskye listened for the sound of Hawks heels clicking down the hallway. 	display: inline-block; Creuzot was once married to a white woman and lives in East Dallas. Without that structure and support, her attention deficit disorder was free to run wild on the campaign trail. })  They vouched for Hawk, who had been elected as state district judge at the young age of 32 and was now in her 11th year. The next morning, she walked into the Suicide Resilience group. 	} , Hawk discussed her general feelings about her early days in office. "I want the people of Dallas County and our partner police agencies to . Incumbents are bolded and underlined. 	} Newly Elected Dallas County District Attorney Details Plans for Office. Woodlief says she thought Hawk seemed agitated and hadnt thought through what she was about to do. Creuzot said his office looked into the costs and found they ranged from $100 to more than $217 for each test. Friends of hers whod been involved in previous races with Watkins wanted her to fire Woodlief and hire someone more aggressive. You made the choice to come here, she told Hawk. Madson would scribble them all down, then go back to her office and draft extensive outlines and to do lists. That friend took Hawk to the friends house and put her in bed. Hawk would sit in her office, firing off ideas like pinballs. She listened more than she talked. "In Creuzot's Dallas, black women are more likely to be victimized and less likely to get justice and closure." Needing to leave that and so much else behind, Hawk started looking for a new place to live. } Creuzot (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Dallas County District Attorney in Texas. 		color: #888; She told him she felt overwhelmed by anxiety and paranoia. .widget-img { Polls suggested that a female candidate would have the best shot, coming in about 3 percentage points ahead simply because of gender. It was time for Hawk to tell her husband what was going on, Mulder said. 	} Eventually, Balido says, Hawk told her it wasnt working out. 			display: block; Nov 22, 2022. .infobox { Local Dallas activists have alleged that District Attorney John Creuzot has failed to investigate and prosecute domestic violence and sex crimes against black women. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the first female Dallas County district attorney, Francis said to a crowd that included Hawks parents and Woodlief. 

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