Jon Johnson

The Smith County Commissioners Court met Tuesday and heard presentations from candidates for the soon-to-be-vacant Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace position.

No appointments were made Tuesday. County Judge Neal Franklin noted the lack of consensus, stating, “All the candidates are just too darn good.”

Precinct 2 Commissioner John Moore was absent, leading the court to table the decision until next week.

The vacancy arose after Jon Johnson announced his retirement following a 35-year career in criminal justice. At Tuesday’s weekly meeting, four candidates presented their qualifications for the role.

Danny Brown, who ran for the position in 2018, has over 33 years of law enforcement experience. A retired decorated supervisor from the Tyler Police Department, he currently serves as Chief of Police for the Tyler Independent School District.

Kelly Harrington, a legal assistant at the district attorney’s office, began her career as a dispatcher and earned Rookie of the Year in 2020. She later became a case worker for Child Protective Services and has shown strong self-learning abilities.

Jacob Hart has nearly 17 years of experience at the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and holds an advanced peace officer license. A former SWAT team member and current Texas Commission on Law Enforcement instructor, he believes his experiences have prepared him for the role.

Dane Krohn, raised in Precinct 5, began his career as an EMT and has spent the last 10 years as a firefighter paramedic. He also works with Ruck County’s critical incident stress management team.

In other business, the county approved contracts for improvements to the Emergency Operations Center, re-roofing the Smith County Annex, replacing generators at the Cotton Belt and Sheriff’s Office, and installing fencing for the Road and Bridge Department. The court also adopted Emergency Support Function 3 to enhance resource deployment during emergencies and renewed fiber optic communication services at various county locations.