The sheriff's office under Chody has also come under fire for its aggressive policing tactics. Indicted Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody loses to challenger Mike Gleason. He was booked into Williamson County … A grand jury has indicted Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody on a felony evidence tampering charge in the case of Javier Ambler, a Black man who … The charge comes after months of calls for Chody […] ROUND ROCK — Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, who lost his November bid for reelection while under criminal indictment, has filed a lawsuit against the winner, claiming there was election fraud. The lawsuit against Mike Gleason says a glitch caused voters in Leander to be given the wrong ballots on Election Day. The suit said the glitch could have allowed poll workers to give voters the wrong ballot. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody is suing Sheriff-elect Mike Gleason for election fraud. ROUND ROCK — Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, who lost his November bid for reelection while under criminal indictment, has filed a lawsuit … Dorian Chavez, a Cedar Park City Council member who lost his reelection bid in November, also filed an affidavit in Chody's lawsuit saying he had "several people; poll watchers and poll workers inform me that they witnessed ballots misprinting the wrong ballot style during the entire span of early election and on Election Day.". Gleason received 56% of the vote while Chody got 44%. WILLIAMSON COUNTY (Talk1370.com) -- Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody lost his bid for a second term in Tuesday's election results. From lotto millions to a felony indictment. "This is interesting considering my opponent declared victory hours before voting was concluded," Chody said in the lawsuit. Chody has spent $1.16 million on the race since Jan. 1 while Gleason has spent $38,558, according to campaign finance records. Chody said his goals if reelected were to decrease response times for priority calls and continue to investigate cold cases. Chody was indicted in September on an evidence tampering charge in the destruction of reality TV show footage that showed deputies chasing and using force on Javier Ambler II, a Black man who died in custody in 2019. "I really didn't expect anything else based on the small and disgraced man that Robert Chody is.". Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and his opponent, now-Sheriff-elect Mike Gleason, appeared on the Nov. 3 ballot. Before Chody, 50, became sheriff, he was a Williamson County constable. The grand jury accused Williamson County Sheriff Chody of destroying or concealing video and audio recordings of Ambler “with the intent to impair their ability as evident in the investigation,” according to the indictment . Chody was booked in the Williamson County Jail and was released Monday on a $10,000 bond. Davis also said during a Nov. 17 county commissioners meeting that the elections office stood "behind every vote for every candidate in the summary report." The county has also had to pay $225,000 in settlements to two former employees who said they were discriminated against while working at the sheriff's office. When newly elected Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason took office this month, he was taking over a department steeped in controversy. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was booked in the Williamson County Jail on a felony charge in connection to the in-custody death of Javier Ambler. He says his plate is already full with a backlog of cases he claims his predecessor just wasn’t working on. This is his booking photo. Williamson County Sheriff's Office. Deputies on the team would focus only on mental health calls, not only in the county but also in the cities, he said. Officials said it also will be streamed on the county's Facebook page. Become a Patron by contributing to Community Impact Newspaper and gain daily insight into what's happening in your own backyard. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and former Williamson County Attorney General Counsel Jason Nassour were indicted on Sept. 25, 2020 each on … WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - Democratic challenger Mike Gleason has defeated Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody. A … Williamson County Texas is part of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan area. The glitch was corrected before Election Day, Davis said. Robert Chody is moving up in the world, and it's not just because he and his wife won $85 million 17 years ago. Davis previously has said there was a glitch in the voting software during early voting that left out the precinct where a voter voted. Although Williamson is Metro, it was outdated and before Sheriff Chody the Williamson County Sherriff’s Office had made the decision to incorporate a K9 Unit. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody has been indicted on a felony evidence-tampering charge related to the March 2019 death of Javier Ambler in deputies' custody. Thank you for reading and supporting community journalism. Gleason's wife, Alison Gleason, is the director of the Williamson County Enterprise Applications Division and has complete access to the voting machine software, Chody said in an affidavit included in the lawsuit. The indictment accuses Chody of destroying footage captured for the reality TV show “Live PD” that showed deputies chasing and using force against the Pflugerville resident. Early voters all were given proper ballots, so they voted in the correct races, he said. Some members of the Williamson County Commissioners Court may have some choice words for their sheriff when they hold their regular Tuesday morning meeting. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Chody's lawsuit says there was another glitch on Nov. 3 in the touchpad that election clerks use to check in voters. The ceremony will take place in person outside the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 S. Main St. in Georgetown. The lawsuit against Mike Gleason says there was an electronic glitch that caused voters in Leander to be given the wrong ballots on Election Day. He has far outspent Gleason in the sheriff's race. "And while I am not satisfied with the outcome of a few of the races in Williamson County, I am completely confident in the veracity of the outcome of the election.". But the glitch did not affect the early voting results of races, he said. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Death in Custody: The story of Javier Antonio Ambler II. He also asks that if the court finds the contested elections results cannot be resolved, that a new election for sheriff be held. He will be the first Democrat to serve as sheriff in the county since the 1980s and will serve a four-year term. Newly-elected Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason is diving into his first full week of fighting crime after being sworn in on New Year’s Day. "Obviously, the suit is frivolous and speculative," Gleason's attorney, Robert McCabe, said. In approving the settlement, the Commissioners Court noted that the county denied all of the allegations. BREAKING: The race for Williamson County sheriff is over, with all precincts reporting. 56 to 44 percent. The ceremony will take place in person outside the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 S. Main St. in Georgetown. Updated Nov. 4 Mike Gleason has been elected Williamson County sheriff, according to unofficial results. A GRAND jury has indicted Texas Sheriff Robert Chody in the case of Javier Ambler, a black man who died in 2019 after being Tased by deputies. But he’s also having to fight a lawsuit brought by his predecessor, Sheriff Robert Chody. It also says that Gleason and his wife were seen standing within Wi-Fi range of one of the Leander polling places for most of Election Day. Chody has denied that he had anything to do with a decision to destroy the video. Chody brought the suit in civil court. He has said he has worked in every position and division at the sheriff's office. The county's election results show that Gleason received 153,760 votes, or 56%, while Chody had 120,518 votes, or 44%. TOP: Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick speaks about the indictment of Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody at a press conference on Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. Meanwhile, Chody has his own legal issues he is currently dealing with. In September, Chody and Jason Robert Nassour, former general counsel for the Williamson County Attorney’s Office, were arrested after being indicted on third-degree felonies related to … Chody is asking for $100,000 in damages. There was a specific, heartbreaking incident, that set the wheels in motion to launch the K9 program. Williamson County Elections Administrator Chris Davis declined to comment Wednesday. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Gleason received 56% of the vote while Chody … Gleason, a former sheriff's assistant chief deputy, received 150,893 votes. Chody's attorney, Kellye SoRelle, said in an email Wednesday that she had several more witnesses who will be participating in a hearing on a motion she will be filing in an attempt to gain access to the election equipment. Published on June 8, 2020, the death of Javier Ambler sparked national outcry, cancelled a reality TV show and indicted a sheriff on felony charges. Robert Chody, the sheriff in Williamson County, is accused of tampering with a video of a fatal 2019 traffic stop made by the crew of a police ride-along program. Chody won $85 million with his wife in the Texas lottery in 2001. Three days later came his fresh start in Williamson County. Gleason, 55, is the co-owner of a ride-hailing company called Gold Star. Robert Chody (Republican Party) is the Williamson County Sheriff in Texas.Chody assumed office in 2017. "I was not consulted or advised that the election contest would be or had been filed," said Armbruster. Williamson County records show Chody is facing a charge of evidence tampering, a third-degree felony that is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Ambler's family recently sued the county. — Williamson County Sheriff Chody (@SheriffChody) February 7, 2019 Chody was not pleased: "Well, the #FlatWolf even got mentioned in a @SNLUpdate skit," Chody wrote on … Gleason had 56% of the vote, while Chody earned 44%, with all precincts reporting. Three former employees have also sued the sheriff's office and four lawsuits have been filed by former inmates or their relatives alleging mistreatment at the Williamson County Jail. Williamson County, Texas 508 S. Rock St. Georgetown, Tx 78626 Phone:(512) 943-1300 Non-Emergency:(512) 864-8282 Fax:(512) 943-1444 Driving Directions. Gleason, however, has received more campaign contributions than the sheriff. WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody has been indicted and arrested on a felony charge of tampering with evidence in … Gleason has said his priorities if elected would include changing the sheriff's crisis intervention team back to how it was when he ran it. Chody, who was seeking a second term, got 118,392 votes. Before Chody, 50, became sheriff, he was a Williamson County constable. He spent 24 years working at the Williamson County sheriff's office before he was retired in 2017. Both candidates for the office have had recent legal issues. The summary report includes all the votes cast in the election. Gleason, 55, was one of the people named in a lawsuit that the county settled in September for $83,500. His lawyers are seeking to quash the indictment, saying it has nothing to do with the video but instead is about a contract Chody signed for the show. With all of the county’s precincts reporting, Gleason took 56.03% of the votes. The county is also facing several lawsuits involving the sheriff's office during Chody's term. This story has been updated to correct when the Statesman spoke with Gleason's attorney. He established a cold case unit after he was first elected in 2016 which has solved two cases. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Experts warn Covid-19 threat could intensify with new variants, Protests in support of jailed opposition leader Navalny sweep across Russia. Gleason (D) has unseated current Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody (R) by 32,501 votes. Brontë Wittpenn, Austin American-Statesman, Gleason is among 13 newly elected Williamson County officials slated to be sworn in at 11 a.m. Friday. Chody (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Williamson County Sheriff in Texas.Chody lost in the general election on November 3, 2020. More: From lotto millions to a felony indictment. Incumbent Robert Chody has been defeated by 32,501 votes. GEORGETOWN, Texas (KWTX) – Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, named in an indictment Friday charging tampering with evidence stemming from an … Gleason is the only defendant named in the Dec. 15 lawsuit. Chody has denied the charge — a third-degree felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 — and accused prosecutors of colluding in a politically fueled conspiracy to falsely prosecute him. Gleason, who oversaw the jail at the time, denied all allegations in the lawsuit, saying he met Hurdsman only once, never handled his mail and was named in the lawsuit because it listed everyone in the chain of command at the facility. Neither he nor Williamson County prosecutors have brought criminal charges against Gleason or his wife in connection to any allegations of election fraud. Skip Navigation. (Community Impact staff) Now is the chance to help your local community succeed. Democrat Mike Gleason has won the race for Williamson County sheriff by defeating embattled incumbent Robert Chody, a Republican. The Texas Rangers are Texas Rangers are investigating at least five use-of-force incidents. More: Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody indicted in Javier Ambler case. Chody, 50, was indicted in late September on an evidence tampering charge in connection with the destruction of footage from the "Live PD" TV show that depicted sheriff's deputies chasing and using force on Javier Ambler, a Black man, who died in the incident. He has received $53,127 since Jan. 1, while Chody has gotten $36,193. WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody has been indicted and arrested on a felony charge of tampering with evidence in relation to the death of Javier Ambler. Williamson County Republican Chairman Steve Armbruster said in an email on Thursday that he believed in the results of the Williamson County election. Chody's current term ends in 2020. Gleason is among 13 newly elected Williamson County officials slated to be sworn in at 11 a.m. Friday. A poll watcher at two Leander polling places said she saw an election clerk touching the print button more than once on the touchpad, which meant the same ballot was printed multiple times, the lawsuit said. His previous jobs also include deputy constable and an Austin police officer. Davis told commissioners at the Nov. 17 meeting that the elections office would have immediately fixed any issues reported by poll workers on Election Day, including printing issues. Rodney Hurdsman claimed that while he was an inmate in the Williamson County Jail in 2106, Gleason removed a piece of legal mail Hurdsman was trying to send. How reality TV could undo a Texas sheriff. Chody has also been sued by the county commissioners over his refusal to end an agreement he made without their permission allowing "Live PD" to again film deputies on their daily patrols. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was indicted Monday on charges of tampering evidence in the case of Javier Ambler, a 40-year-old Black man who died in custody last year. Mike Gleason Sheriff Williamson County, Texas His previous jobs also include deputy constable and an Austin police officer. Williamson County commissioners approved the hiring of Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP to represent the county and its employees in former Sheriff Robert Chody… Officials said it also will be streamed on, Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody indicted in Javier Ambler case. "We have received the county's audit logs and they are being reviewed by an expert in the election integrity field," SoRelle said. Democrat Mike Gleason has won the race for Williamson County sheriff by defeating embattled incumbent Robert Chody, a Republican. The sheriff was indicted in September on an evidence tampering charge connected to the fatal use of force of a man following a police chase. Caption: KEYE. 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