Meador to be named county judge pro tem; Noack urges interim judge

From Courier of Montgomery County By Catherine Dominguez | Thursday, July 7, 2016 8:05 pm

Meador to be named county judge pro tem; Noack urges interim judge

Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador, right, will be named county judge pro tem, after the suspension of County Judge Craig Doyal, left. Doyal has appealed his suspension, and a hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 26 in Austin.

Members of Montgomery County Commissioners Court will consider the appointment of Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador as county judge pro tem next week.

The court will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday on the fourth floor of the Alan B. Sadler Building, located at 501 N. Thompson St. in Conroe.

Meador, as senior member of the court, assumed the duties of running the court’s regular meetings after County Judge Craig Doyal was suspended without pay.

Doyal was indicted June 24 on charges he conspired to circumvent the Texas Open Meeting Act while negotiating terms of the $280 million November road bond, which voters approved.

The grand jury also indicted Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark and political consultant Marc Davenport on the same charge.

The first court hearing regarding the charges will start at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the 221st state District Court. Judge Lisa Michalk recused herself and requested a visiting judge preside over the court.

Doyal has appealed his suspension, issued by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. That hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. July 26 in Austin.

Meador said the court will continue to operate and handle county business in the absence of Doyal.

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