Fort Bend County judge’s chief of staff arrested for DWI

Shaneka Smith, the chief of staff for Fort Bend County Judge KP George , was arrested Tuesday night for driving while intoxicated, court records show. Smith has been George’s chief of staff since late 2022.

Smith was arrested in Harris County around midnight. Documents show that her breath showed an alcohol content of at least 0.15, nearly twice the state’s legal limit of 0.08. She was released on a $100 bond.

Smith could not be immediately reached for comment.

In a statement, George said he is taking the situation “ very seriously.”

“The safety and trust of our community are our highest priorities, and we will continue to uphold the standards of integrity and accountability that our citizens expect from us,” he said.

Smith will have her first court appearance Wednesday, July 3.

Smith’s arrest is the most recent of high-profile regional leaders to be arrested recently. Kelli Johnson, a Harris County district judge, was arrested Tuesday for driving while intoxicated.

Representatives for Johnson could not immediately be reached for comment. However, her attorney, Christopher Tritico, told Houston Public Media Wednesday that she was not intoxicated, but instead was experiencing a “brief medical episode.” According to Tritico, she voluntarily agreed to a breath test that came back with a 0.0 result.

She is set to appear in court July 2.