Austin police officer accused of misusing official information

AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin police officer is being charged with misuse of official information, a third-degree felony. The officer was indicted by a Travis County grand jury.

"This case in other cases like this are important and a priority for our office because holding law-enforcement accountable when they break the law is critical to rebuilding community trust," said Travis County DA Jose Garza. "It’s a third-degree felony that carries a punishment range 2 to 10 years."

According to the indictment, Hall is accused of giving an acquaintance personal identifying information about two women in 2018 and 2019. The acquaintance was involved in a child custody case with one of the women and a divorce case with the other.

The indictment goes on to state the information was not made public and was obtained through his office and employment and that this information was used to harass these women.

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The officer was indicted by a Travis County grand jury.

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District Attorney Garza said he is following up on his campaign promise to hold law enforcement accountable. "When members of our community trust the police and prosecutors they’re more likely to believe in the fairness of our justice system to seek help to report crimes and to participate in investigations that make all of us safer," said Garza.

The Austin Police Department did not have a statement on the indictment, they did say that Hall is on restricted duty without pay.