Jim Wells County constable Frank Davila Jr. dies in office

Premont lost a familiar law-enforcement presence when Jim Wells County Precinct 4 Constable Frank Davila Jr. died Friday, June 5, ending a career in county government that stretched back more than three decades. Davila took the oath of office in January 1993 after winning the 1992 Texas General Election, and he had been scheduled to serve through Dec. 31, 2028.

Davila's office was more than a title. As a certified peace officer, he had the same enforcement powers as other Texas peace officers and was responsible for serving civil and criminal process, citations, notices, warrants, subpoenas and writs in Precinct 4. Jim Wells County says constables also work as bailiffs for justice courts, deliver subpoenas and other papers, help enforce court judgments, handle truancy matters and manage seized property and office accounts. In a rural precinct anchored by Premont, those duties often blend courthouse work with everyday public safety.

The vacancy now leaves residents in southern Jim Wells County waiting for word on who will carry those duties next. Under Texas election law, the unexpired term for a county office is filled at the next general election when a vacancy opens well before the deadline, which means the Precinct 4 seat will go to voters on Nov. 3, 2026. County officials will also have to keep the office functioning in the meantime so court papers, bailiff work and enforcement responsibilities do not stop because the constable's chair is empty.

Davila had only recently begun another term after being sworn in with other Jim Wells County elected officials on Jan. 1, 2025. His office was listed in Premont, a reminder of how closely the Precinct 4 constable was tied to the town itself and to the southern stretch of the county that depends on a local law-enforcement presence. Jim Wells County has a population of 38,898, and with the county seat in Alice, the loss of a precinct constable in Premont carries a different kind of weight: it is the loss of a familiar official who connected the courthouse to a smaller community every day. Funeral arrangements and memorial services were expected to be announced later by the county and local law-enforcement agencies.