Mystery Surrounds Absence of Dallas District Attorney Susan Hawk

DALLAS (AP) _ Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk is blaming a three-week absence from her duties on “a serious episode of depression” and says she’ll take another four weeks’ unpaid leave.

“The taxpayers deserve to know where Republican Susan Hawk, the chief law enforcement official of Dallas County, is and what she is doing on their dime”, Perkins said. She says an additional four-week absence “would be in my best interest and the best interest of the DA’s office” to “give this illness the professional attention it deserves”.

Hawk admits she took time off during her campaign to go to rehab for a problem with painkillers but there’s no indication her current absence is related.

“I’m very concerned, because – for one thing – nobody over there seems to be able to have a consistent statement about where she is”, said Carol Donovan, chairwoman of the Dallas County Democratic Party. “If Susan can not do her job, for herself and for her office, she should resign”.

Hawk is a former Democratic judge who switched parties and defeated Texas’s first African American district attorney in a close race in November. “It is such an honor to be the first woman district attorney. The extra time I am requesting is simply in an effort to assure that I’m healthy and to give me the opportunity to make changes so this does not happen in the future”, she said in the statement.

Since becoming the District Attorney in January, Hawk has fired or forced the resignation of at least six top staffers.

The Dallas Morning News reported last week that Hawk was on a break from work starting August 3. A doctor prescribed me medicine. It wasn’t immediately clear whether she was paid for the previous three weeks. Several others have quit, accusing Hawk of being paranoid. “People speaking for her were vague as to her whereabouts or plans to return, leading to distraction and courthouse gossip”.

Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk speaks at a town hall meeting in May.