A Texas County Judge was arrested after a yearlong investigation, which is still ongoing. Loving County Judge Skeet Jones, a descendent of a powerful ranching family, has been in his role since 2007.
Loving County is said to be the least populated county in the continental United States. The arrest occurred, on or about May 20, 2022. A former sheriff’s deputy and two ranch hands were also arrested.
The prior sheriff deputy was identified as Leroy Medlin Jr., 35. He is a prior Loving County Sheriff’s Office employee. He also worked for the San Antonio Police Department, as a Police Officer, per KSAT 12. He was charged with one count of engaging in criminal activity; which is a second degree felony carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years.
County Judge Jones was booked into Winkler County Jail and released on a $20,000 bond, records show. Winkler County is one county east of Loving County. It is located on the Texas-New Mexico border.
In 2016, County Judge Jones was disciplined by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. County Judge Jones would enter judgements of “illegal parking,” violations that were not supported by a proper complaint or probable cause. He would impose fines for these offenses in excess of the legal amount prescribed by law.
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association was the lead agency on the case. The agency employees approximately 30 professional law enforcement officers called Special Rangers. They are commissioned through the Texas Department of Public Safety and/or the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. They are strategically positioned throughout Texas and Oklahoma to investigate agricultural theft.
Although a the county’s population is low, in 2019, the starting salary for a Loving County Sheriff’s Deputy was $69,202 per year.
The County Judge (Jones) salary is estimated at $133,000.