Mistrial declared in criminal retaliation trial of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King

JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas - A mistrial was declared Tuesday in the criminal proceedings of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King, who is accused of retaliating against his former top deputy after the deputy reported sexual harassment allegations against the sheriff.

What's New:

FOX 4 sources confirmed a mistrial had been declared late on Tuesday afternoon.

The jury deliberated for two days, but was unable to come to a decision. One juror had said since deliberations began that they would not reach an agreement. It is not known which way the juror was leaning.

What they're saying:

King told reporters he was "happy to be with my family and my friends," following the declaration of a mistrial.

"We always felt confident that there would not be a conviction, and it was the outcome that we hoped for," said William G. Mason, a defense attorney for King.

"We are going to powwow and say, ‘what can we do better? What did we do OK with?’" Mason continued. "The prosecutors are doing the same thing. Everyone is reevaluating how to go forward. The case is still pending. It's like we have spent the last 12 days here, and we start over."

James Saulter, King's accuser, held a different tone after the mistrial declaration.

"We just have to live with our justice system, and I am good with that. We will live to fight another day. I am OK with it, and we will regroup and see what comes next."

Dig deeper:

Earlier in the day, the jury was called back into the courtroom to hear a supplemental charge. 

Jurors also had questions about part of the testimony, which led to them hearing a transcript of the trial read by the court reporter. The testimony in question involved an alleged extramarital affair involving King.

The judge previously instructed the jury to continue to try and reach a verdict, warning that a mistrial would be declared if a unanimous decision could not be reached.

Johnson County Sheriff's trial

The case stems from testimony by former Chief Deputy James Saulter, who told jurors he was placed on administrative leave and ultimately terminated after taking a female employee’s complaints to the Texas Rangers. According to Saulter, the employee alleged that King routinely sexually harassed her.

Prosecutors called more than 20 witnesses to testify against King.

The defense rested its case without calling any witnesses. Instead, King’s attorneys argued that the disciplinary actions taken against Saulter were unrelated to the whistleblowing report. The defense pointed out to the jury that Saulter was already under internal investigation for allegedly falsifying timesheets at the time of his dismissal.

King did not testify on his own behalf during the trial.

The backstory:

King was initially arrested on Aug. 27, 2025, and was charged with one misdemeanor and two felonies for official oppression, sexual harassment and retaliation against a witness.

He was indicted several days later. King’s indictment accused him of sexually harassing multiple female employees at the sheriff’s office.

What's next:

The trial process will begin anew following the mistrial declaration.

A new jury will be selected for a new trial at a later date that has not been determined.

If convicted, King faces up to ten years in prison.

Johnson CountyCrime and Public Safety