TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – The Smith County Commissioners Court has appointed Sarah Maynard as the 2nd District Court Judge after Judge Taylor Heaton was named District 475 Judge.
Maynard was selected after hearing from seven candidates who wanted the job at a meeting last week, the city announced. After two executive sessions debating the applicants, they decided on him by a 3-2 vote.
Other nominees included attorneys James Carter, Jeremy Coe, Sam Griffiths, Trevor Rose, Laura Surret and Sheryl Wolff, according to the announcement.
Judge Heaton was appointed to the newly created district court by Governor Greg Abbott on January 1, 2023, for a term to expire on December 31, 2024, or until his successor is duly elected and qualified. to take over in Smith County.
Maynard of Heaton will be elected as District Court Judge 2 and will serve the remainder of the unexpired term until December 31, 2024.
After law school, Maynard said, he opened a private practice, which he managed for more than 22 years. For 15 years, she has represented children in CPS cases, “focusing on the best interests of children as required by law.”
He said Maynard also served as a prosecutor in Tyler Municipal Court and has experience in estate planning, probate, civil and criminal law. He currently serves as an Assistant Smith County District Attorney handling juvenile cases.
He said he has “a lot of experience and is ready to take it to a new level of service.”
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