The prosecutor dismissed the case on the condition that the judge resigned his post.

A Jefferson County justice of the peace in Port Arthur resigned his post in lieu of disciplinary action related to an official oppression-sexual harassment investigation.

Justice of the Peace, Precinct 8 Tom Gillam III agreed to resign from office and is forever disqualified from judicial service, according to a voluntary agreement the State Commission on Judicial Conduct released Monday.

Gillam signed the agreement Sept. 19, and the commission chair accepted it Oct. 2.

According to a Beaumont ABC and CBS news affiliate broadcast report, a Jefferson County grand jury indicted Gillam on Aug. 23, 2023 for the Class A misdemeanor official oppression charge and his case was later set for trial in the 252nd District Court.

Reacting to the indictment, the commission issued an order of suspension without pay Sept. 8, 2023.h

Jennifer Bergman, the appointed special prosecutor and district attorney for neighboring Liberty County, made an offer to Gillam that she would dismiss the charge if he resigned office and agreed to never again hold a judicial office, a Liberty County District Attorney's Office spokesperson told the ABC and CBS affiliates.

Bergman dismissed the case Oct. 3, one day after the commission recognized the resignation.

Gillam's defense attorney Layne Walker Sr. told 12NewsNow the case should have been dismissed long ago and should never have been filed, adding it was his opinion the prosecutor could not meet the legal requirements of an official oppression charge.

According to the commission's voluntary agreement, the case originated with Tyquisha K. Murray, an employee in the office who on July 15, 2023 filed a complaint concerning Gillam's alleged behavior toward her.

Gillam, a Democrat, was elected to the office in November 2022. He ran unopposed.