Mineral Wells Area News

City Releases Statement on Perricone Lawsuit Dismissal

For Immediate Release:

MINERAL WELLS, TEXAS – On November 9, 2023, officials with the City of Mineral Wells were notified that Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, rendered a final judgment dismissing the lawsuit filed against the City by its former mayor, Christopher M. Perricone.

In November 2019, Perricone, while serving as mayor, filed the federal suit against the City of Mineral Wells (Civil Action No. 4:19-cv-00992-O) alleging the City violated his constitutional rights to free speech and due process. Perricone’s suit further sought a declaratory judgment on select items within the local City Charter that Perricone claimed infringed on his role as mayor.

In an order issued this week, Judge O’Connor ruled that after due consideration given each of Perricone’s assertions in the suit, the case and all allegations therein were determined to be without merit. In his final ruling, Judge O’Connor dismissed Perricone’s claims with prejudice in their entirety. Under federal law, Perricone has thirty days to appeal this judgment to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The City of Mineral Wells agrees with the Court’s decision in this matter and continues to believe the lawsuit was unsubstantiated. The City maintains no finding has ever been made that any federal laws were violated.

Mineral Wells Mayor Regan Johnson expressed her satisfaction with the Court’s decision, stating, “The City Council and I look forward to placing this matter behind us. We will continue to maintain our focus on keeping this community moving forward with due diligence, transparency, and the utmost integrity.”