Received: via email

To: Kevin Lawrence and the TMPA board,

My name is Randy Puckett and I have worked for Rockwall Police Department for 19 years. I decided back in December of 2007 to run for county commissioner in Rockwall County. I went through the chain of command all the way to the Chief of Police to see if my political ambitions violated any rules or policy of the police department or city of Rockwall. I then went to the HR director, who assured me it would not violate any policy of the city. I filed to run on December 28th.

On January 4th I was called to city hall by the HR director, who told me I forfeited my job when I filed to run for County Commissioner. They used an archaic city ordinance to terminate me that was passed when one of my opponents was mayor back in the early 1980s.

I contacted TMPA, who referred me to Attorney Bob Gorsky and Chris Livingston, whom I met with on January 8th. They were very professional, very knowledgeable of the law, and only took a few minutes for them to find that the city ordinance used to terminate me was unconstitutional in the Texas and US Constitution.

Mr. Gorsky and Mr. Livingston sent a letter to the Rockwall city attorney and the city manager, who called a special city council meeting for the next Monday night, which Mr. Gorsky and Mr. Livingston attended. The city council changed the ordinance they used to terminate me.

It had to be read at the next two council meetings to be final. I returned to work on February 5th to the same position that I had before all this happened. I was allowed to continue to run for County Commissioner.

The day I went to talk to Bob Gorsky and Chris Livingston, I was pretty down over the whole situation. When I left the law office, it felt like a load had been lifted from me. I would say Bob Gorsky and Chris Livingston are truly a GODsend to all the police officers in this area. I have paid TMPA legal dues for 19 years, really thinking I was wasting my money and that I would never use it. Boy was I wrong!

I want to thank you, TMPA, and the Law Firm of Lyon, Gorsky, Haring & Gilbert, for the help I received.

Thank you,
Randy Puckett