FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — A visiting district judge repeatedly questioned Thursday whether any further court action was necessary after the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court unanimously approved Daniel Wong's service as interim county judge through Dec. 31, 2026. After hearing nearly an hour of legal arguments, Judge Jeth Jones took under advisement a dispute over whether his April appointment order automatically ended when the lawsuit that led to it was voluntarily dismissed.
Taking a matter under advisement means the judge will consider the legal arguments before issuing a written ruling at a later date.
The hearing stems from a lawsuit filed earlier this year by Fort Bend County resident Sarah Roberts, who has served as a Democratic precinct chair, seeking former County Judge KP George's removal from office under Chapter 87 of the Texas Local Government Code.
Visiting Judge Jeth Jones did not rule from the bench after hearing arguments from attorneys representing Roberts, Wong and suspended County Judge KP George. Instead, Jones said he would review the legal issues before issuing a written decision.
"This is very complex and complicated," Jones said near the conclusion of the hearing. "It'll be submitted. I'll take this up as soon as possible, take it under advisement, and give you a ruling as soon as possible."
How the dispute arose
In April, Jones temporarily suspended George from office while Roberts' Chapter 87 removal lawsuit was pending and appointed Wong as interim county judge.
George was later suspended from office following his felony conviction. Roberts then voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit, arguing that George's suspension had effectively achieved the relief she sought.
Thursday's hearing focused on whether Jones' April 10 appointment order automatically expired when Roberts voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit.
The issue has drawn additional attention because Wong is the Republican nominee for Fort Bend County judge in November's election against Democrat Dexter McCoy.
Roberts argues appointment ended with lawsuit
Attorney Dylan Russell, representing Roberts, argued that Jones' appointment order functioned like a temporary injunction and automatically dissolved once the underlying lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed.
Russell repeatedly told the court Roberts was not asking Jones to determine whether Wong is currently serving lawfully as county judge.
Instead, he argued, the court should simply clarify that its temporary appointment order ended when the lawsuit was dismissed.
"We're not asking the court to decide the issue of Mr. Wong's status as interim county judge," Russell said.
Russell said that question will instead be decided in the separate quo warranto lawsuit pending in another Fort Bend County district court.
Wong says case is "closed"
Attorney Chris Hilton, representing Wong, argued the case ended when Roberts voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit and that no live controversy remained for Jones to decide.
"Why are we here?" Hilton asked.
Hilton argued Roberts had already obtained the relief she sought when George was suspended from office and voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit.
"This is a closed case with no live claims," Hilton said.
He argued that issuing another order would amount to an advisory opinion because the underlying lawsuit no longer exists.
Hilton urged Jones to deny the pending motions and allow the separate quo warranto lawsuit to determine Wong's legal status.
George's attorney confirms suspension remains
George's attorney, Jared Woodfill, played a limited role in the hearing but confirmed that George remains suspended while his criminal conviction is on appeal.
When Jones asked whether George could return to office during the appeal, Woodfill replied:
"He's suspended, period."
Judge questions all sides
Throughout the hearing, Jones questioned each attorney about the legal effect of his April appointment order, the consequences of Roberts' voluntary dismissal and whether the court retained jurisdiction to issue additional orders.
One of Jones' recurring questions centered on the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court's action after Wong was sworn into office.
Jones said it was his understanding that Commissioners Court had unanimously approved Wong's service through Dec. 31, 2026, after accepting his oath of office.
"It's my understanding the Commissioners Court, after I did my order removing KP George and appointing Daniel Wong, that the Commissioners Court unanimously approved the appointment of Daniel Wong through 12-31-26," Jones said.
The unanimous vote included Commissioners Grady Prestage and Dexter McCoy along with the court's Republican members.
Jones questioned why his court needed to take any further action if Commissioners Court had already acted.
"Why do I need to do anything?" Jones asked. "That's already in place by the Commissioners Court. They already approved that."
When Roberts' attorney argued the Commissioners Court's action did not resolve the legal effect of Jones' appointment order, the judge continued pressing the issue.
"Right. I'm just saying we don't have to do anything," Jones said. "They've already decided and appointed Daniel Wong through 12-31-26, and you're telling me I really don't have jurisdiction to do anything."
Russell responded that Commissioners Court could not extend an appointment created by the court's order and argued that any legal effect of the court's action would ultimately be decided through the separate quo warranto lawsuit.
Hilton argued the Commissioners Court's unanimous action reinforced his position that there was nothing left for Jones to decide in the dismissed removal case and that any remaining questions about Wong's authority belong in the separate quo warranto proceeding.
Jones gave no indication how he intends to rule, although he told the attorneys he will preside over a jury trial beginning next week. That schedule could delay a written ruling unless he issues one before the trial begins.
KTRK pool photograph
Attorneys argue their cases as Visiting Judge Jeth Jones presides over Thursday's hearing in Fort Bend County. From left are Jared Woodfill (seated), representing suspended County Judge KP George; Dylan Russell (Standing in center), representing plaintiff Sarah Roberts; and Chris Hilton (standing at right), representing interim County Judge Daniel Wong.
What's next
Jones said he will issue a written ruling after reviewing the parties' legal arguments.
Regardless of that decision, the broader question of who is legally serving as Fort Bend County judge remains the subject of separate quo warranto litigation pending in another district court.
About Us: The publisher of Covering Katy also serves as Media Relations and External Engagement Manager for Fort Bend County Precinct 3. This article was reported and edited independently. Neither Fort Bend County nor Precinct 3 reviewed or approved this story before publication, and all editorial decisions remain solely those of the publisher.