Prosecutor fired by ousted McLennan County district attorney lands a new job

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A prosecutor fired last week by McLennan County District Attorney Barry Johnson, ousted by voters in the Republican primary, has found a new job and it’s just one floor below where he worked 13 years in the district attorney’s office.

Gabe Price, working in the DA’s office appellate section when Johnson fired him last Monday, will start work Tuesday as a deputy clerk in the McLennan County District Clerk’s Office.

Price said Monday he is thankful that he can continue to work for McLennan County and is appreciative of support he received in the past week from fellow attorneys and community members since he was fired.

“I’m grateful to live in Waco and McLennan County,” Price said.

Johnson declined comment when asked why he fired Price, citing confidential personnel matters.

District Clerk Jon Gimble said Price’s duties will include evaluating the plethora of meritless cases filed by people who could be determined at some point to be vexatious litigants and handling a docket involving people who claim they are indigent.

Gimble called Price a “Swiss Army knife” for his versatility. He said he also could make Price available to other county department heads faced with potential legal issues.

“It’s good having a seasoned attorney come in and review our processes and procedures to see if there is anything we can improve upon,” Gimble said. “I feel like we are getting a heck of a bargain.”

Price, who was making about $100,000 a year in the DA’s office, will start out making $38,380 in the clerk’s office.

Price said last week he was unsure why Johnson fired him. However, Price’s wife, Nina Price, said she thinks he was fired because she openly campaigned for Johnson’s Republican primary opponent, Josh Tetens. Johnson fired Nina Price, a former juvenile court prosecutor, last year.

“It’s unfortunate that Barry is making irrational decisions based on the fact that he got his feelings hurt because he lost an election, and those choices are clearly not in the interest of McLennan County,” Nina Price said last week.

“It makes absolutely no sense that he suddenly has no trust in an employee that he was trusting his entire term in office and literally nothing changed except for the fact that he lost the election. Two weeks ago, he trusted Gabe and then he lost and now he doesn’t trust him.”

Tetens defeated Johnson 70 percent to 30 percent in Johnson’s bid for a second term. Tetens faces Democrat Aubrey Robertson in the November 8 general election.

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