Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) have entered mediation in a lawsuit filed by Fullen to stop the commission from revoking his peace officer’s license for allegedly not disclosing previous arrests.
Last Friday, Galveston County District Court Judge Jeth Jones approved a motion for abatement pending mediation — essentially pausing the ongoing legal proceedings while the two parties attempt to come to an agreement outside of court. The abatement order was signed two days before the court was set to have its first hearing on Monday. That hearing and the other two scheduled hearings have since been canceled.
The lawsuit — originally filed March 3 — pertains to a June 2024 recommendation by TCOLE to revoke Fullen’s peace officer license. The TCOLE recommendation came as Fullen was actively running as the Republican candidate for Galveston County Sheriff. After winning his election, Fullen filed a lawsuit against TCOLE, arguing the commission does not have the legal authority to revoke his license while he is serving as an elected sheriff.
Under Texas law, a sheriff must have an active peace officer’s license. If Fullen’s license were revoked, he would be unable to serve as sheriff.
According to TCOLE’s complaint, the commission accused Fullen of falsifying government documents by knowingly omitting information. Along with several other allegations, TCOLE claims that Fullen failed to include information regarding his criminal history, specifically several arrests — including for assault — that occurred in the 1980s.
Fullen’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, said in a statement to Houston Public Media that the two parties entered mediation after TCOLE agreed to pause its administrative hearings regarding Fullen’s revocation. Buzbee said the mediation could begin in June.
“Bottom line: both the admin proceeding and lawsuit are at a standstill pending mediation,” Buzbee wrote in a statement. “We hope in mediation to resolve this matter cooperatively so Sheriff Fullen can put this behind him.”
Retired Galveston County sheriff’s sergeant Kenneth Williams filed the original complaint that led to TCOLE’s investigation into Fullen. Williams said if Fullen and TCOLE come to an agreement in mediation, the details will likely not be made public.
“My perspective on this is that this kind of moves it behind closed doors so the politicians can do their thing,” he said. “We won’t know about it and we won’t know what the final [resolution] will be.”
Fullen did not respond to a request for comment Monday regarding the civil lawsuit. He told Houston Public Media in July that he would fight to maintain his license.
“I have filed an answer with TCOLE and intend to contest the allegations,” Fullen said in a text message in July. “My peace officer’s license is unaffected by the mere filing of these allegations.”
A spokesperson for TCOLE said it could not comment on pending litigation.
