Judge pushes back against assault allegation

JEFFERSON — An East Texas judge is disputing accusations that he assaulted both a minor and an adult at a 2025 Halloween party, casting scrutiny on the timing of the adult’s complaint, which surfaced months after the incident. According to our news partner KETK, Marion County Judge Leward LeFleur, who ran uncontested in the March 3 Republican Primary, was first accused of a Class C assault misdemeanor against the minor at a fall 2025 party. After the county recused itself, the case was handed to the Morris County District Attorney’s Office.

The City of Jefferson was then handed the case for review, where acting Jefferson City Attorney George Hyde requested additional information on the allegation from the Jefferson Police Department. There, they discovered a second assault that an adult alleged happened at the same Halloween party.

“After receiving this information, it revealed additional information regarding the alleged assault and included information and a new complaint against Judge Lafleur arising from the same event and which occurred close in time to the alleged assault,” a statement from Hyde’s office said.

Hyde speculated that the alleged conduct against the adult could constitute an indecent assault charge, which would be beyond his ability to prosecute in the Jefferson Municipal Court. For those reasons, the cases was referred back to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.

LaFleur’s attorney, David Moore of Longview, told KETK News that his client fully denies both allegations. Moore also called into question why the adult’s allegation is only coming out now, after several months have passed since the Halloween party at issue.

“The explanation given by Mr. Hyde is that there is a potential new misdemeanor allegation by an adult of an unwanted touching of them in a sexual manner by Judge LaFleur. The adult complainant apparently is alleging that the touching occurred at the same Halloween party as the previous Class C offensive contact allegation made by the teenager. It is important to ask why this allegation is just now being made months after the supposed event and then only after the previous Class C accusation has apparently failed to gain traction. Judge LaFleur absolutely denies this new misdemeanor accusation with the same vigor as the previous Class C allegation.”
David E. Moore, Attorney for Leward LaFleur

KETK News could not immediately reach Marion County District Attorney Timothy J. Cariker for comment on LaFleur’s case.