Ralph Caraway Jr.

Ralph Caraway Jr. recently was sworn in as interim Smith County Pct. 1 constable.

Caraway has worked as an investigator for the Smith County District Attorney’s Office since 2019. Before that, he was employed at the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, where he worked his way up from detention officer in the jail to captain over jail operations. He holds a Master Peace Officer license and a jailer’s license.

Caraway was appointed Friday by a visiting district judge who suspended Curtis Traylor-Harris from serving as Pct. 1 constable.

Traylor-Harris, former Pct. 1 Chief Deputy LaQuenda Banks and former Pct. 1 Sgt. Derrick Holman were indicted in February on charges of theft by public servant and official oppression.

While facing a lawsuit seeking to remove him from office, Traylor-Harris’ request to reduce his $1 million bond that is keeping him in the Gregg County Jail was denied in June by 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr..

Traylor-Harris has been suspended from the constable position pending final removal or conviction on the charges, said Thomas Wilson, Smith County assistant district attorney.

“Traylor-Harris has been confined in the Gregg County Jail on bond violations since May 13,” Wilson said. “He has not been physically present to complete the duties of a constable. There are certain duties that were left incomplete due to his physical absence.”

In December, commissioners reclassified Holman’s position to administrative assistant after he lost his peace officer’s license, meaning he was unable to perform his duties.

After commissioners reclassified the position, they said if Holman’s license was reinstated or a licensed peace officer was hired, the position would return to its initial classification, Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran said.

Caraway is set to hire a licensed peace officer into the sergeant position, so there was a need to again make the administrative assistant position that of a deputy, Moran said.

Caraway said Holman was “released” on Friday and is no longer employed at the Pct. 1 constable’s office.