‘I’m the assistant district attorney’: Now she’s not, after attacking Uber driver
The Dallas County District Attorney’s office fired one of its assistant attorneys Monday after an Uber driver released a recording of the attorney insulting him and accusing him of kidnapping.
Shaun Platt, the Uber driver that recorded the incident late Friday night, told KDFW-TV that 32-year-old Jody Warner appeared to be drunk when he picked her up from Capitol Pub in east Dallas. He told the Dallas Morning News that Warner told him to deviate from the directions his GPS gave for her home, and he got lost.
That’s when the ride home took a turn for the worse.
According to audio obtained by multiple outlets, Warner can be heard calling Platt “a legitimate retard” and “an idiot,” and also accusing him of kidnapping, after he repeatedly asked her to leave his vehicle.
He ended the ride early on the Uber app and asked her to get out of his car. Warner told Platt, “I’m an assistant district attorney,” and that she wanted to wait for police to arrive, after Platt had called them to the scene, “so that they can [expletive] you up.”
On Tuesday, Warner told the Morning News she was “uncomfortable with the route” Platt was taking. She said because of her six years of case work with sexual assault victims, “I’m always a little bit more on edge.”
The DA’s office initially said it was investigating the matter. But by 5 p.m. on Monday, Warner had been fired, according to a news release from Dallas County DA Faith Johnson.
“After careful consideration and a thorough investigation, I have decided to terminate Ms. Warner. Although criminal charges have not been filed, her behavior is contrary to this office’s core principle of integrity, and it will not be tolerated,” the statement read.
“As public servants, we represent the people of Dallas County and are examples of justice, professionalism and ethical behavior both inside and outside of the courtroom. I will not waiver on my expectation of the highest integrity for myself or my staff,” it continued.
As an assistant district attorney, Warner made $91,904 annually, according to public records data obtained by the Texas Tribune.
“She’s embarrassed,” said Dallas attorney Pete Schulte, who says he’s a friend of Warner’s but does not represent her legally. “She’s wishing she had chosen different words and hadn’t used the language she used.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 7:42 AM with the headline "‘I’m the assistant district attorney’: Now she’s not, after attacking Uber driver."