The 475th Court was established in January 2023 to alleviate backed-up criminal cases and juvenile family law caseloads.

As Smith County’s population increases, the number of criminal, family and civil cases also rises.

Before last year, the county hadn’t had a new court in about 40 years. But in January 2023, the 475th Judicial District Court officially began as a way to alleviate backed-up criminal cases and juvenile family law caseloads.

County officials said the goal of the new district court was to reduce the jail population of people charged with felonies and those currently awaiting trial.

A year later, under the leadership of Judge Taylor Heaton, the new court has begun to reduce the backlog and improve the lives of young offenders.

“In 2023, we’ve been incredibly busy and that backlog has dropped quite a bit,” said Jacob Putman, Smith County criminal district attorney. “That’s going to continue this year.”

The court system consists of three courts at law and five district courts, the 7th, 114th, 241st, 321st, and 475th.

In December 2022, judges voted to redistribute case assignments to the different courts. The redistribution of the court’s dockets increased the efficiency of the system.

“Immediately as the court got off the ground, it took 100 indictments from each felony court,” Heaton said. “We were able to take some of the pressure off those courts to allow them to handle other cases.”

During the coronavirus pandemic, the courts shut down, jury trials halted, and the number of inmates rose with no avail. While an inmate is in jail, the county pays for expenses like food and medical care, making it fiscally challenging to maintain.

“Oftentimes, that expense is worth it because it’s keeping the community safe from someone who’s dangerous,” Putman said. “But we don’t want somebody there for an unduly long time, not just because it’s expensive, but also because people have rights.”

When the world forged ahead on the path to normalcy, the new court became a reality in 2021 when Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3744 into law.

Upon creation, the court absorbed 300 cases from other courts. Heaton, appointed to the position by Abbott, said it was “a little bit like drinking from the firehose,” but he was excited to start resolving and trying cases.

Since launching last year, the jail population has decreased from more than 800 to about 780 inmates. Heaton has also had the chance to work with juveniles to focus on rehabilitation over punishment, putting boundaries in the home that don’t exist and meeting them where they are.

“My heart at juvenile is to help kids, help juveniles, help some of the most vulnerable kids in our population,” Heaton said. “I’d say that is the highlight of our court.”

The Tyler native never thought he would return to his hometown when he left for Baylor University. But, after graduating with an undergraduate degree, he went to law school in anticipation of a career in federal law enforcement.

“Once I got out of law school, I started working at the [district attorney’s office] and fell in love with our community. I decided not to pursue that and to stay here,” Heaton said. “My motivation for being a judge is a love for our community. It’s a love for our courthouse. I want to enrich the practice of law. I want to invest in our courts.”

Heaton was Court at Law 2 judge for four years before this role, and he worked with juveniles at the district attorney’s office for nine years before that. He said this role is an opportunity to continue serving Smith County residents.

“I said a year ago that it was the pleasure of my life to preside and be appointed over this court,” Heaton said. “I still maintain that it has been a fantastic year.”