On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the Houston Chronicle reported that Skeet Jones, judge for the Loving County Court in Texas, has been suspended without pay after being indicted on cattle rustling charges. Jones and three others were indicted by a Howard County grand jury on engaging in organized criminal activity related to the theft of livestock.
Records from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct show that Judge Jones was suspended in late October 2023. Commission Executive Director Jacqueline Habersham said they almost always suspend judges who have been indicted until the charges are resolved.
Judge Jones, who earns about $140,000 annually, was arrested on October 31 by Big Spring police. He was released later that day on a $5,000 bond. The investigation into the cattle rustling was led by Marty Baker with the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
Baker spent over a year on the case, including conducting a sting where he watched Jones and his team round up and sell cattle and calves that had been released. Baker said he had trouble finding a local prosecutor to take the case due to connections in the small county.
Loving County, home to around 60 residents, faces the difficult task of replacing Judge Jones within 30 days. Complicating the process is the requirement that the interim judge must be a county resident.
Jones’ supporters call the case a political attack aiming to strip power from his family, which has held many government positions in Loving County for decades. However, Baker maintains the investigation was not politically motivated but about enforcing state laws regarding stray livestock. Only time will tell how Loving County will move forward to select a temporary replacement for the suspended Judge Jones.
Source: Houston Chronicle
