Shaneka Smith, KP George Chief of Staff, arrested for DWI

Shaneka Smith, chief of staff for Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George, was arrested Tuesday night on a drunken driving charge, court records show. Smith has been George’s chief of staff since late 2022.

Smith was arrested in Harris County around midnight. Documents show his breath had an alcohol content of at least 0.15, nearly twice the state's legal limit of 0.08. She was released on $100 bail.

Smith could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a statement, George said he was 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 of us,” he said.

Smith will make his first court appearance on Wednesday, July 3.

Smith's arrest is the latest in a series of high-profile regional arrests. Harris County District Judge Kelli Johnson was arrested Tuesday on a drunken driving charge.

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

She is due to appear in court on July 2.

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