The Collin County Commissioners Court appointed Sarah Duff to the position of Probate Judge early Monday evening. Ms. Duff replaces Judge Weldon Copeland who recently announced his retirement after 35 years of service to Collin County. Judge Copeland's retirement is effective January 31. Ms. Duff will begin serving in the role of Probate Judge on February 1.
Ms. Duff, a McKinney resident, who earned her law degree from Texas Tech University in 2007, was appointed late Monday afternoon by a unanimous vote of the Commissioners Court. Ms. Duff's appointment came after the court interviewed multiple candidates during Monday's Commissioners Court.
Ms. Duff began her legal career in 2007 in private practice serving as the municipal court prosecutor for the cities of Anna and Aubrey. In 2013, she established The Duff Law Firm in McKinney where she advocated in court for clients in a variety of probate and guardianship cases covering Collin, Dallas, Denton, Hunt, and Tarrant counties. In 2018, she joined the Probate Court of Collin County as the associate judge for the mental health docket presiding over the proceedings for court-ordered mental health services, a position she's held until this appointment.
“Finding an honorable replacement for Judge Copeland was certainly no easy task; we were fortunate to have four strong candidates to consider," said Commissioner Darrell Hale. “Ms. Duff separated herself during the interview process, and her selection allows the probate court to continue operating without any interruptions."
“All of our citizens can be pleased to know that we have tremendously talented folks in our community, all of our applicants were wonderful and it was difficult to make a decision among such great candidates," said Judge Chris Hill. “In the end, we unanimously believe we have found the right candidate, and Ms. Duff is going to be a tremendous next probate court judge for us here in Collin County. We are thrilled with her service, and we look forward to working with her in the upcoming primary election as she continues to serve the citizens in Collin County."
The appointment will be effective until the
November 2024 general election is canvassed by the Commissioners Court. The Probate Judge's position will not be on the March primary ballot. The winner of the November election will serve the remainder of the term, which expires in December 2026.
