1st on 10: Texoma Mayoral Candidate's Criminal Record Revealed

It's just four days before voters head to the polls to vote in a heated mayoral election. But now potentially damaging details have emerged about one of Sherman's mayoral candidates. KTEN's Katie Delaune spoke with the candidate tonight and has the story.

This afternoon, KTEN News received a white envelope with a Dallas postmark, but no return address.

Inside, there were 10 pages concerning candidate Bill Magers' criminal past. Included was a plain white page that said "For Your Review.” The pages were printed from Grayson County's online criminal records search with certain offenses marked with a pink highlighter.

The offenses range from speeding, disorderly conduct, to public intoxication. Many of the cases were either quashed or dismissed.

Magers says he has only been convicted of one charge, a DWI in 1995.

“I pleaded guilty to the charge. I made a mistake. I had an error in judgment. I took responsibility for my actions. That's the long and short of it,” says Magers.

Magers says the incident happened almost 10 years ago and it's always been a matter of public record. He served almost 2-years probation for the DWI. While he says he always told supporters and voters about having a difficult past, he has not publicly talked about specific charges.

When asked if having a conviction affects his values as a politician, Magers says, “I think my values are there for public record. One of the cornerstones of my campaign is family values. Again it was an error in judgment. I took responsibility for it and let's talk about the future.”

Magers says before he entered the race, his family talked about Magers' criminal history and whether his opponents would bring it up. Magers says other people have called to tell him that they've received white envelopes with similar information. Though he won't go as far as calling it a smear campaign, Magers does have his suspicions. He says despite the conviction, he is the right person to lead the city.

“This election is not about me or my opponents. It's about whose best qualified to lead Sherman as we move to the future. This whole campaign in my mind is about the future, not the past,” says Magers.

Of course, it will be up to the voters to decide this Saturday.

NET DETECTIVE is the EASY WAY to check criminal records

CRIMINAL RECORDS CHECK

A criminal records search is usually a standard part of any background check. There are various sources that you can use to determine if someone has a criminal record and what route you take will depend on the information you have about your subject at the start.

Check for CRIMINAL records