Jury enters second night of deliberations in Sheriff Adam King trial

The judge issued an Allen charge after jurors did not reach a unanimous verdict following more than a day of deliberations.

Jurors continued deliberating Tuesday evening in the criminal trial of Johnson County Sheriff Adam King after the judge instructed them to keep working toward a unanimous verdict.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the judge read the jury a supplemental instruction known as an Allen charge, directing jurors to continue deliberating in an effort to reach a unanimous decision.

The jury has been weighing the case since Monday afternoon at the Guinn Justice Center.

Prosecutors rested their case last week after nearly two weeks of testimony.

According to an indictment returned by a grand jury last August, King is accused of verbally sexually harassing an employee and creating an environment of unwanted sexual attention toward female employees.

The indictment also alleges King retaliated against former Johnson County Chief Deputy James Saulter after Saulter reported alleged official oppression to Johnson County officials last June. The matter was referred to the Texas Rangers for an independent investigation.

The defense rested its case without calling any witnesses.

King has remained in his role as Johnson County sheriff on a limited basis.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

If convicted, King faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for each felony retaliation charge. He is also eligible for probation under the charges described in court.