Smith County Man Sentenced for Four Offenses in a Single Trial

Tyler, TX - On March 2nd, 114th District Court Judge Austin Reeve Jackson sentenced Jeremy Moffitt to a combined 166 years confinement for four offenses, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, evading arrest causing serious bodily injury, assault of a peace officer, and aggravated assault of a public servant. These charges were the result of an incident where Mr. Moffitt attempted to evade officers who were arresting him at the Smith County Probation Department for violations of his bond conditions.  

“We’re not Houston or Austin,” Judge Jackson said, “Our courts take bond violations extremely seriously, and we appreciate those members of law enforcement who risk their own safety to help us enforce those conditions and protect the public.”

Judge Jackson also noted that these cases were handled in a unique manner, with all four felony offenses being tried in a single proceeding.

“I want to thank our jury and commend the Smith County District Attorney’s Office and the defense team for their willingness to resolve all of these cases in a single trial. This is not something that has often been done in Smith County, but doing so means we can resolve cases more efficiently with significant financial savings to the taxpayers and less delay to victims and defendants.”

On average, a jury trial costs taxpayers approximately $2,000 per day. Thus, by trying these cases in a single proceeding, taxpayers saved an estimated $12,000. 

Related media links: Man sentenced for assaulting an officer; three other felonies in Tyler trial