The passing of the gavel
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At 8 am Friday morning, in the 31st District courtroom, retiring Hemphill County Judge George Briant administered the oath of office to his successor, Lisa Johnson, and handed the gavel over to her care. Prior to the brief ceremony, Johnson addressed the courtroom filled with friends and family, saying, “I appreciate how well everything has run here, how well we all get along, the spirit of cooperation, and George’s leadership. What I most hope to follow as the example he set is to treat each person with kindness and respect, as he has.”