Tyler

By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer

In the midst of a court hearing today to lower the more than $1 million in bonds holding Smith County Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson in jail, the prosecutor and defense attorneys agreed to a bond reduction that the judge approved.

Jackson, 55, was arrested Monday for violating his conditions of bond by allegedly breaking the law when he was charged Friday with working security after his license was suspended.

The defendant’s pretrial supervision officers filed a bond violation report and 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. revoked Jackson’s bonds, which had been $50,000 on each of his seven felony charges. The judge tripled them to $150,000 apiece. Jackson’s defense attorneys then filed a motion to reduce the bond amount.

Tyler defense attorney Tonda Curry, who is acting as special prosecutor in the case, called four witnesses — two pretrial service supervisors and two Texas Department of Public Safety troopers who investigated Jackson’s case. The troopers testified about Jackson working security at the FedEx building in Tyler on July 4 after his license for his security company Fail Safe Security Agency was suspended following his May indictments. The pretrial supervisors testified about filing a motion to revoke his bond and said Skeen tripling the bond amount after revoking a defendant’s bond is common practice in Smith County.

After coming back to court following a brief break, attorneys announced they had reached an agreement to lower Jackson’s bonds.

Jackson’s bonds were lowered from a total of $1,050,000 to $525,000.

Defense attorneys Michael Heiskell and Michael Todd had not yet called their witnesses before the agreement was made between them and Ms. Curry and approved by Skeen.

In May, Jackson was indicted on seven felony charges of tampering with governmental records and three misdemeanor charges of official oppression/sexual harassment.

He is set to go to trial on the misdemeanor charges Aug. 4 and the felony charges on Aug. 18.

The tampering charges arise from alleged false filings made by Jackson regarding his private security company, Fail Safe Security Agency, Ms. Curry said.

On seven occasions, from August 2006 through February 2008, Jackson allegedly made false entries in governmental records with the intent to defraud the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Bureau.

Jackson was also indicted on three counts of official oppression for alleged sexual harassment while acting as a public servant. Jackson allegedly made unwelcome sexual advances to three different women, some of which were employees, on Dec. 15, 2006, March 11, 2007, and July 1, 2007, according to the indictments.

Constable Henry Jackson
(Courtesy Smith County Sheriff)