Longtime Waco criminal defense attorney Rob Swanton was appointed Wednesday to preside as judge over McLennan County’s three specialty courts.
The judges of the state district courts and county courts-at-law appointed Swanton to be the county’s general associate judge.
In that role Swanton will take over the mental health treatment court docket as Judge David Hodges retires March 1.
Swanton will also preside over the treatment court dockets for veterans, and the DWI/drug court.
Swanton has practiced law in Waco and McLennan County since 1984, focusing on criminal defense work for the last 25 years.
“In many of those cases, the mental health state of my client came up,” Swanton said by phone Wednesday. “I have had some clients found not guilty of murder because they were insane.”
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Swanton said he has been interested since the beginning of his career in the types of issues that go before the treatment courts.
“This will be the first time all three specialty court dockets have been combined under one judge,” Swanton said. “The county saw the need to bring all specialty courts under one judge. They all dovetail together in many ways. I look forward to handling all those clients to benefit the county and the individuals.”
The McLennan County Commissioners Court takes pride in the specialty treatment courts programs, County Judge Scott Felton said. Commissioners look forward to the courts continuing to be active in helping with solutions for the growing mental health challenges in the community, he said.
“Combining all specialty courts is a great move which can help the court be more focused and efficient handling the specialized matters at hand,” Felton said in a statement Wednesday. “We are very grateful for the knowledge and leadership Judge Hodges has provided and we look forward to working with Judge Swanton to ensure these programs thrive.”
Judge Gary Coley Jr., the local administrative district judge, echoed the importance of the local specialty courts.
“Reassigning the responsibilities to one judge is a shift that will allow these courts to grow and have an even greater impact on our community,” Coley said in a press release from Felton’s office. “The judges are thankful for the support of the county judge and the commissioners in our efforts to grow these programs.”
In his retirement announcement Hodges said he is thankful that the commissioners court had the wisdom and foresight to create the treatment courts, which give people a second chance and an opportunity to change their lives.
“I’ve been so blessed to be able to preside as judge here in McLennan County and across the state for the last 40 years,” Hodges said.
He said he has formed lasting friendships with many Texas judges and that he has known Swanton for decades, too.
“I am thrilled that the judges have selected Rob Swanton as my successor,” Hodges said. “I have known Rob for 30 years and have every confidence that our mental health treatment court and the other treatment courts will be in good hands going forward.”
During his law career, Swanton has served on the admissions committee for the Waco Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, taught in the advocacy program and taught criminal law at Baylor University Law School, as well as serving as a trustee of Vanguard College Preparatory School.
Swanton graduated from law school at Texas Tech University in May 1984. In his first year he worked as a briefing attorney for the 10th Court of Appeals. For the following four years he worked at a large civil litigation firm in Waco. Since then his practice has been in criminal law.
Swanton is admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Western District of Texas.
Four veterans graduated Wednesday from the McLennan County Veterans Treatment Court program, and the program received a $750,000 grant to assist participants with long-term recovery goals, officials said.
