New assistant chief was commander of Smith County lockup
By KEVIN KRAUSE
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas — Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez has hired a new executive staff member, a lieutenant from Smith County, who will hold a key position over the jails.
Marlin Suell, 41, will begin his job as assistant chief deputy over inmate housing Monday, the Sheriff’s Department said Friday.
Chief Suell most recently served on the Smith County sheriff’s administrative staff. He also served as commander of the East Texas county’s maximum security jail.
He was shot in 2005 while trying to disarm a gunman who opened fire at the Smith County courthouse. The gunman killed two people, including his ex-wife, before he was shot and killed by police.
The 18-year law enforcement veteran was chosen to replace Danny Downes, who resigned in January after less than two years to take a job in Lubbock.
Chief Suell’s selection caused controversy last month when the four sheriff’s labor associations criticized Sheriff Valdez for not tapping someone within her own department.
Chief Suell will have to help manage a jail system that hasn’t passed a state inspection since 2004 and is under a federal court order to improve sanitation, staffing and jail health. Since a scathing Justice Department report in late 2005 said the jails’ dangerous conditions contributed to the death and harm of numerous inmates, conditions have steadily improved.
Dallas County officials hope to bring their jails into compliance with state standards by next month.
Copyright 2008 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS