Had Hawk resigned by August 26, there would have been an election in November to decide who the new district attorney is, leaving it likely that a Democrat would retake the office in a predominantly blue county.
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Hawk’s resignation comes one week after the deadline that would allow voters to pick her replacement in November’s general election.
If Hawk does resign, the governor would get the official notice and appoint a successor. “This has been a very hard process for me as I’ve dedicated my life to serving our criminal justice system”. But it was a promise she made while running for office. A published report stated that Hawk actually wanted to resign back in July of a year ago, before her depression battle became public, after having suicidal thoughts.
The Dallas County district attorney, who has spoken publicly about her battles with depression and anxiety, resigned her office Tuesday just a month after returning to work following her third inpatient treatment for mental illness.
She was released in mid-June but did not return to work. Some have called for her to step down.
Security access records obtained through open records indicate that since her office announced her return to work on August 11 that she has been at work at the courthouse on an irregular basis. Hawk’s office hasn’t yet responded to requests about whether she was in the office this week.
Hawk was in and out of her office since July of previous year in order to seek treatment for severe depression. When she beat incumbent Democratic District Attorney Craig Watkins, she was the first Republican to win a countywide race since 2004. She added that, “I want, and fully expect, to be able to resume my duties as District Attorney once I’ve recovered from this illness”.
Since being sworn into office in January 2015, Hawk, 46, has come under public scrutiny for her decision-making and behavior.
Hawk was first recognized as missing from office in late August of past year. Friends initially lied, saying she was merely away on vacation. By that point, Hawk had worked only about 65 days in 2016. It was part of her work that also seeks to help young non-violent offenders with a similar program.
“I’m well now”, she told News 8. I would step down if I couldn’t do it. Then, while Hawk was away, first assistant Messina Madson fired top-ranking prosecutor Cindy Stormer.
DA Susan Hawk Opens Up About Depression, TreatmentIn her first TV interview, Dallas County DA Susan Hawk talks exclusively to NBC 5’s Meredith Land about the “major depressive disorder” that led her to contemplate resigning and committing suicide. She was said to have told political consultant Mari Woodlief that she wanted to die – and considered using sleeping pills or a blow dryer cord to do so.
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County access card records show in the months prior to going out on leave in May, she was only reporting to work to her $218,000-a-year job on a sporadic basis. After The Dallas Morning News reported her absence, she revealed that she had been hospitalized for severe depression. But they do provide a pretty good reflection of how often she was on the job. Balido said that Hawk also accused the two of plotting against her.
