§ 1196 Judgment of removal.

When a public official is accused of wrongdoing that could cost them their job, the case goes to trial just like any other criminal case. A judge or jury looks at the facts and decides if the official is guilty.

If the official is found guilty, the court issues a judgment removing them from office. This officially declares the position empty, following the same process used in other criminal cases. The court then sends a certified copy of this judgment to the county commissioners.

Finally, the county clerk records this judgment in the official county records. This makes the removal a matter of public record and confirms the office is open for someone new to fill it.