BEAUMONT, Texas – The trial date for a Jefferson County justice of the peace accused of sexual harassment of an employee has been postponed. Jefferson County Precinct Eight Justice of the Peace, Tom Gillam III, was scheduled to stand trial on March 6, 2024. However, prosecutors are now seeking a new indictment, leading to the delay. Gillam, who has been suspended without pay since September 2023, is facing a charge of official oppression related to sexual harassment.
During a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday in Jefferson County’s Criminal District Court, Defense attorney Layne Walker and special prosecutor Jennifer Bergman appeared before Judge John Stevens. Bergman requested the delay in order to seek a new indictment that would include some statutory language, without specifying the exact details. Both the defense and the prosecution asked for additional time to prepare. Walker expressed the desire to review the new indictment before proceeding to trial.
Gillam III, who has held office for nearly 20 years in Precinct Eight, covering parts of Port Arthur, Port Acres, and Sabine Pass, is currently out on a $10,000 bond. If convicted, he could face up to one year in the Jefferson County Jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office recused itself from the case, and the district attorney’s office in Liberty was appointed as “pro tem” to prosecute the case. This move came after an investigation by the Texas Rangers, which began in the fall of 2022, following an allegation of a misdemeanor offense of official oppression related to sexual harassment against Gillam.
Gillam’s previous controversies include accusations of sexual assault in late 2011, when he was accused by a 16-year-old girl who had appeared before him on a truancy charge. The case was sent to a grand jury, but they determined there was not enough evidence to support the girl’s allegations.
In another incident in February 2017, Gillam was wounded in Southeast Houston after he claimed a woman approached him asking for money while he was in his car on the phone. Gillam pulled out his own gun and returned fire when the person fired at him. It was unclear if he hit the person. He was released from the hospital a few days later.
As the trial for Jefferson County Precinct Eight Justice of the Peace Tom Gillam III is delayed to seek a new indictment, the future of the case remains uncertain. Gillam, who faces a charge of official oppression related to sexual harassment, has been suspended without pay since September 2023. The upcoming trial, originally scheduled for March 6, 2024, has been postponed as prosecutors pursue a new indictment. Defense attorney Layne Walker and special prosecutor Jennifer Bergman appeared before Judge John Stevens during a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday. Bergman requested more time to seek a new indictment containing specific statutory language. Both sides agreed to the delay, with Walker expressing the need to review the new indictment before proceeding with the trial. Gillam, who serves the Precinct Eight area covering parts of Port Arthur, Port Acres, and Sabine Pass, has held office for nearly 20 years. If convicted, he could face up to one year in the Jefferson County Jail and a fine of up to $4,000. The district attorney’s office in Liberty has been appointed to prosecute the case after the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office recused itself. In 2011, Gillam faced allegations of sexual assault by a 16-year-old girl, but the grand jury determined there was insufficient evidence to support the charges. In 2017, he was wounded in Southeast Houston during an incident where he exchanged gunfire with a person who approached his vehicle. Gillam’s trial delay adds to the uncertainties surrounding the case.