Interim Constable to finish Jackson’s unexpired term

TYLER –The interim Smith County constable, Bobby Garmon, was reappointed Tuesday to fulfill the remainder of Henry Jackson’s unexpired term. Smith County Assistant D.A. Thomas Wilson told KTBB, “You have to differentiate between the suspension and the removal proceedings, and the vacancy that’s created by his [Jackson’s] death. Because he was not formally removed from office, he still was the office holder. That suspension was only temporary, pending the outcome of the removal proceeding.” Henry Jackson died on August 30th of this year, after being suspended from office in 2017.

Wilson continued, “The death creates the vacancy. So, the seat would have been vacant if the judge had a trial and ordered that Henry should have been removed from office. That would have created a vacancy, but it never got to that point. It only got to the temporary suspension, and then it held in that manner.” Garmon was appointed to fill his term, and was defeated in a May runoff election by Curtis Traylor. Traylor could not take office early because he did not meet residency requirements to be appointed, due to his residency status, but will do so by the time he takes office in January of 2021.