A Texas county judge ordered sheriff’s deputies to forcibly remove citizens from a public meeting after they clapped during testimony opposing a massive reduction in voting locations, resulting in the arrest of a former state lawmaker who was carried out by four officers.
Dramatic Confrontation at Commissioners Court
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare directed deputies to clear the entire commissioners courtroom on Tuesday when audience members applauded a speaker criticizing his leadership. The dramatic scene unfolded more than two hours into a meeting where residents packed the chambers to oppose a proposal cutting Election Day voting sites by 45 percent. Former state Representative Lon Burnam, who served from 1997 to 2015, lay down on the floor when deputies attempted to remove him after he turned to address the audience during his speaking time. Four sheriff’s deputies carried him out by his hands and feet, placing him under arrest.
Residents erupted in protest as O’Hare ordered everyone except county staff and reporters removed from the public meeting. Standing and chanting “shame” and “vote them out,” citizens directed their anger at the court’s Republican members, including O’Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez. The judge had warned speakers at the beginning of the meeting about courtroom decorum before ordering the mass removal.
Voting Site Reduction Sparks Opposition
The proposal triggering the confrontation would slash Election Day voting locations from 316 sites used in the 2022 midterm elections to just 176 sites for the upcoming November midterms. Early voting locations would drop from 50 to 42 under the plan. Speakers who addressed the court before the removal criticized the reduction as voter disenfranchisement, arguing it would make casting ballots significantly harder for residents in the growing county. Patrice Jones, vice chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party, said the demonstration reflected growing opposition even if it would not change the Republican majority’s votes.
Meeting Resumes Under Strict Control
After clearing the courtroom, O’Hare restructured the meeting to allow speakers to enter one at a time when called to testify. Citizens could remain in the audience after speaking, but the judge warned that any further disruptions would result in arrests and another complete clearing of the chambers. Two additional speakers faced removal during the reconvened meeting. Outside the courtroom, attendees chanted against O’Hare, who faces Democrat Alisa Simmons in the November election. The voting site proposal remains under consideration by the commissioners court.