Dallas County DA Explains Her Long Absence

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.

Hawk’s hitherto-unexplained absence had generated numerous questions about the management of her office and her ability to perform her duties. One of the attorneys on her staff had said he left his letter of resignation on her desk Aug. 6 and it remained on her desk two weeks later.

Hawk has previously acknowledged getting a doctor’s help in weaning herself from medication for back pain in 2013. Also, she fired one top assistant and another resigned three months after she had taken office, citing a toxic atmosphere they say Hawk created in the district attorney’s office.

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