Debbie Garrett:  
Bringing a lifetime of public service to the bench

With 16 years as a prosecutor, Debbie Garrett is exceptionally and uniquely qualified to serve as district judge of the 27th District Court. On day one, Debbie will be equipped to take the bench and begin hearing cases because she knows the law, she knows the court, and she has handled heavy dockets.

When Debbie moved to Belton to accept a job as an assistant district attorney in the Bell County District Attorney's Office, she was assigned as a prosecutor in the 27th District Court. In Bell County, this court currently hears exclusively criminal matters and has a significant backlog of criminal cases. Debbie knows firsthand the innerworkings of the 27th District Court, has ideas how to reduce that backlog and has a good working relationship with the court personnel, the prosecutors and the defense counsel. She continues to handle cases in that court and has recently been assigned the responsibility of court chief of the 478th District Court as well. In Lampasas County, about 75 percent of the docket  is criminal.  

Before coming to Central Texas, Debbie lived in Longview, Texas, where she worked as a prosecutor for  Gregg County for eleven years. During her tenure at the Gregg County Criminal District Court, Debbie served as a felony, grand jury, misdemeanor, family violence and  drug court prosecutor. She has tried cases from DWIs to Capital Murder.  In her legal career spanning close to 30 years, Debbie has handled criminal, family, and civil law, as well as, legal research and mediation.

Debbie attended Texas Tech University School of Law on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She received the Order of the Coif, American Jurisprudence Award in Business Entities and Legal Analysis. Prior to law school, Debbie attended Texas Tech University and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at University of Texas at Tyler after marrying Danny, her high school sweetheart. She graduated with a 4.0 in journalism.

Danny and Debbie will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in 2024. They have been blessed with two beautiful children, Brett and Allison. The newest member of the Garrett family is Scout, their very spoiled golden doodle. Debbie enjoys theatre, kayaking and singing in the choir at First Baptist Church of Belton.