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Longtime Justice of the Peace Brad Burnett has been appointed to oversee suspended Judge Tom Gillam III’s caseload.

Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick appointed Burnett, who is the Precinct 7 justice of the peace, to preside over Gillam’s Precinct 8 duties in January.

Retired Justice of the Peace Ken Dollinger was initially appointed to handle Gillam’s cases in September, with the other four justices of peace stepping in when needed.

Burnett said his clerks are working well with the clerks left in Gillam’s court, and the precinct clerks are being trained on key issues such as budgeting, time sheets and purchasing.

Burnett said he tries to go by the Precinct 8 office daily.

Justice of the Peace has a number of responsibilities, some of which include justice court, which was previously called small claims court, criminal citations, traffic citations, assaults and class C misdemeanors.

The duties also include evictions, driver’s license hearings, deferred adjudication hearings, weddings and inquests, he said.

Burnett’s precinct includes the three Mid County cities of Nederland, Port Neches and Groves.

Gillam’s precinct includes part of Port Arthur, the Port Acres area and Sabine Pass.

Gillam, a longtime justice of the peace, was indicted by a Jefferson County Grand Jury for the Class A Misdemeanor offense of Official Oppression on Aug. 23.

The allegation stems from an incident that allegedly occurred on or around June 28, 2022, in which Gillam sexually harassed a woman by making “unwelcome sexual advances, making requests for sexual favors and physical conduct of a sexual nature,” according to the indictment.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended Gillam Sept. 1 for a pending criminal matter, according to the Commission’s website.

Gillam was re-indicted last week as officials worked to add some basic statutory language to the document.

He was set for trial for March 6 but Special Prosecutor Anna Emmons with the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office asked for a delay and a re-indictment to clear up some basic statutory language.

A new trial date has not been announced.