Maynard appointed County Court-at-Law 2 judge

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court appointed Sara Maynard to serve as the County Court-at-Law 2 Judge after Judge Taylor Heaton was selected to become the 475th District Judge. According to a news release, the Commissioners Court selected Maynard after hearing from seven candidates who wanted the job at last week’s meeting. After two executive sessions of discussing the applicants, they decided on her in a 3-2 vote. The other candidates included attorneys James Carter, Jeremy Coe, Sam Griffith, Trevor Rose, Laura Severt, and Cheryl Wulf. Judge Heaton was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to take over the newly created District Court in Smith County on January 1, 2023, for a term set to expire on December 31, 2024, or until his successor is duly elected and qualified.

Maynard will take over from Heaton as the County Court-at-Law 2 Judge and will serve the remainder of the unexpired term until December 31, 2024. Maynard said after law school, she opened a private practice that she managed for more than 22 years. For 15 years, she has represented children in CPS cases. Maynard has also served as a prosecutor in Tyler Municipal Court and has experience in estate planning, probate, and civil and criminal law, she said. She currently serves as a Smith County Assistant District Attorney prosecuting juvenile cases. She said she has a “wealth of experience and is ready to take that to a new level of service,” as quoted in the release.