Judge Jared Shaw has been suspended without pay following his indictment for official oppression and unlawful restraint. He is currently the Wilson County Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC), which is responsible for investigating allegations of this kind, issued the order of suspension against Shaw last week.
“Having considered the indictment, the Commission concluded that Judge Shaw is charged with three counts of Official Oppression and three counts of Unlawful Restraint, Class A Misdemeanors,” reads the order.
“The Commission determined that JARED EVAN SHAW, should be SUSPENDED WITHOUT PAY from the judicial office of Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 for Wilson County, Texas” the order continued. The suspension will “remain in effect until the charges set forth in the Indictment are dismissed, Judge Shaw is acquitted of all charges in the Indictment, or upon further order(s) of the Commission.”
Following the grand jury indictment, Judge Shaw was booked into the Wilson County Jail and released on October 19. His bond was set at $6,000.
Background
Judge Shaw’s legal troubles stem from three separate incidents of ordering arrests that he knew were unlawful while acting under color of his office as a public servant, according to his indictment.
The three individuals arrested were Evelyn Fleming Tolle, Amado Adames Jr., and Leticia Johns. The circumstances surrounding the arrests of the latter two have not been made public. Neither Shaw’s indictment nor the suspension order provided this background.
Fleming’s arrest, however, was detailed by the SCJC in its March 26 public reprimand of Judge Shaw. In that order, Shaw was ordered to complete additional judicial education, but was not suspended.
The order explained that Fleming was summoned to appear with her minor child in April 2025, for a hearing alleging parent contribution to non-attendance of a minor. She completed a plea of no contest with a stated fine of $203.
During the hearing, Fleming’s child guessed that she had missed 40 days of school, though a Floresville ISD representative stated that it was actually 83 days.
Judge Shaw reportedly addressed the minor child stating, “I can’t put you in jail, but I can put your mom in jail for three days.” He then held Fleming in contempt of the court and had her arrested and transported to the Wilson County Jail without holding a hearing on the matter or affording her the right to counsel.
Shaw’s arrest order stated that Fleming willfully disobeyed the court’s written order for “not paying a fine of $603.00” in addition to truancy. She was ordered to be punished by confinement for three days. The SCJC never received evidence of Fleming having been fined $603.
Judge Shaw explained to the SCJC that he did not send Fleming to jail because of her daughter’s behavior, but stated, “I did state that her daughter was being flippant and smiling when she should have taken the situation more seriously and that reflected on her as a mother. I sentenced Ms. Fleming to jail for contempt of court, and her own actions – not those of her daughter.”
Fleming had reportedly been before Judge Shaw three separate times, including a previous truancy case involving another one of her children. He therefore wanted to send a message.
On the night of Fleming’s arrest, Shaw visited her at the jail. He informed her that she would be released that evening, but only signed a post-it note to order her release rather than issuing a new order.
Without using the proper channels, Shaw reduced Fleming’s fine to $100 and found her indigent after she explained that she was unable to pay. He disputes the allegation that he violated any rules by expediting the process.
Judge Shaw is currently running unopposed for re-election on Nov. 3. He was first elected JP in 2022. Shaw previously taught at Floresville High School and served as an Army first sergeant, where he reportedly served as the military equivalent of the JP for five years.
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