Atascosa County approves multiple personnel moves: DA hire, public defender intern, sheriff promotions and county investigator appointment

At the Jan. 12 session the court approved several personnel actions across county offices. District Attorney Audrey Lewis presented the hire of Scott Simpson as an assistant district attorney at an annual salary of $121,000 with a start date of Jan. 20, 2026, pending required physical and drug testing. The court moved and approved the hire.

Stephanie Brown of the public defender's office requested approval to hire Ryan Carlton as a temporary law-school intern at $18 per hour, funded by a TIDC grant of $3,820; the court approved the intern appointment and noted no county match is required.

Sheriff Guerra presented internal promotions: George Lopez was promoted to lieutenant bailiff (pay rate transcribed as $33.85/hour and a $200 monthly uniform allowance) to oversee courtroom security, and Daniel Hernandez was promoted to sergeant bailiff (transcribed pay rate $29.33/hour with a $200 monthly uniform allowance); both promotions were approved.

The county attorney's office presented the appointment of Albert F. Garza, an existing administrative sergeant with the sheriff's office, as chief investigator for the county attorney's office with an $80,000 annual salary (county-funded base and a grant supplement cited); the court approved this personnel change.

All personnel actions were presented as agenda items, motions were made and seconded, and the court recorded that the motions carried on each item. Start dates and funding sources were provided on the record for each hire.