A Harris County grand jury has declined to indict former Precinct 7 Constable's Office Sergeant Jocelyn Ballard on two felony counts of injury to a child, meaning no criminal charges will proceed against the law enforcement veteran accused of beating her two adopted children with a belt.

The no-bill decision, reported by ABC13 and Fox 26 on Wednesday, Aug. 5, leaves Ballard's termination appeal as the only remaining legal thread. Precinct 7 fired Ballard after an internal investigation, but she has appealed that decision. The outcome is pending.

Arrest and charges

Ballard, 41 at the time of her arrest, was charged on Feb. 5 after an investigation by her own department's Criminal Investigations Division. The probe began on Dec. 24, 2025, according to Fox 26's earlier reporting.

Prosecutors told a judge at a Feb. 6 hearing that Ballard beat her two adopted children, ages 9 and 12, with a belt and her hands, leaving bruises on them. Her bond was set at $20,000, KPRC reported at the time.

At that same hearing, a judge issued an emergency protection order barring Ballard from any contact with her children after her public defender argued she should still be allowed to see them.

Administrative vs. criminal outcomes

Precinct 7 placed Ballard on administrative leave immediately upon her arrest, then fired her following the internal investigation. She had spent 10 of her 18 years in law enforcement with the department, where she was assigned to the Training Division.

The grand jury's refusal to indict means Ballard faces no criminal prosecution on these charges, even as her employer determined the conduct warranted termination. In a statement at the time of Ballard's February arrest, Precinct 7 said the office remained committed to due process, the presumption of innocence, accountability and transparency.

No charges will proceed.

Neither Precinct 7 nor the Harris County District Attorney's Office has commented publicly on the grand jury's decision.

Precinct 7 patrols unincorporated areas of Harris County adjacent to Clear Lake, including communities near Webster, Seabrook and Nassau Bay. No timeline has been announced for Ballard's termination appeal.