Texas official pleads guilty to violating his COVID order at birthday party, reports say
.jpeg "Williamson County, Texas, Judge Bill Gravell pleaded guilty to violating his COVID-19 stay-home order after attending his grandson’s birthday party, reports say. Screengrab from Williamson County, Texas - Government on Facebook.")
A Texas official pleaded guilty to violating a stay-home order he issued during the coronavirus pandemic, reports say.
Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell was charged with misdemeanor violation of an emergency management plan, according to court records. In late March, he enacted a “stay home, stay safe” COVID-19 order that banned non-essential activities for residents of the county north of Austin.
Then Gravell was seen on camera attending his grandson’s birthday party in firefighter gear, KVUE reported.
That led to an investigation by Texas Rangers and the appointment of a special prosecutor, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Gravell had an off-duty sheriff’s deputy take him to a fire department to grab the gear and wear it to the party, according to a complaint obtained by the newspaper.
Gravell’s attorney Bill Hines told the Austin American-Statesman that the county judge is the only resident to be prosecuted for the violation.
Gravell is ordered to pay a $1,000 fine as part of a plea agreement, KXAN reported.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Texas official pleads guilty to violating his COVID order at birthday party, reports say."