Smith County family court moved to make room for new district court

TYLER – The 321st District Court in Smith County, which handles family court cases has been moved out of the courthouse in downtown Tyler. This is to make room for the newly-created 475th District Court, according to our news partner KETK. Judge Robert Wilson, who presides over the 321st Court, said he is “beyond excited to make the move” to his new courtroom on the fifth floor of the Annex building. The move takes effect Monday, June 6. On Tuesday, county commissioners approved moving two bailiffs to the Annex Building due to the increased traffic flow. The court was created to assist with the backlog of felony cases and jail overpopulation. Currently, the county only has three district courts to handle hundreds of cases.

The last district court to be created was back in 1977 when the Smith County population was around 100,000. In the past 45 years, it’s more than doubled to around 230,000. Under Texas law, Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to appoint an interim judge to take the bench when the court begins hearing cases at the start of 2023.However, that appointment will only last through the November 2024 election, when Smith County citizens can elect a succeeding judge to a full, four-year term.