SMITH COUNTY, Texas — The trial continued for suspended Smith County Constable Curtis Traylor-Harris Thursday morning as he took the stand to testify in his own defense.
He was charged with official oppression and theft of property related to an eviction he served in November 2021.
Traylor-Harris testified that he told his former Pct. 1 Chief Deputy LaQuenda Banks to “get that [stuff]”—to put a box of items back on a shelf—not “take that [stuff].”
He also testified that he did not know Banks took any items from the home and never pressured her to take anything.
Banks testified on Tuesday that she felt forced by Traylor-Harris to take the items in the house. She also said that what she did while serving that eviction last year was wrong.
The defense had no other questions and District Attorney Jacob Putman questioned Traylor-Harris about a safe that was taken and put into a deputy’s vehicle that never made it into the evidence room, for which he was the one with the only key.
Traylor-Harris says he didn’t know the safe was taken from the home and didn’t know to pay attention to it.
He agreed with the DA’s statement that the body camera footage from Chief Deputy Banks shows her stealing watches from the home by putting them in her shirt.
Traylor-Harris said if he had known she was stealing, he would have immediately sent her home, reviewed the body camera footage and fired her.
Putman showed video of Traylor-Harris close to Banks while she appeared to steal Ray-Bans and questioned him about how he could not know what she was doing. He said he was looking to make sure her camera was working and didn’t see the theft.
Traylor-Harris believes that this case against him is part of a larger trend of county leaders, including the DA, who never wanted him to be in office.
He says there’s no evidence of him taking any items or plotting with anyone else to take things.
Putman had no other questions.
Both sides have rested their case and are making closing arguments. CBS19 will provide an update once the jury reaches a verdict.
