Private Admonition of a District Court Judge (4/18/18)

04/18/2018

The judge exhibited bias and prejudice in the performance of judicial duties on the basis of religion and/or sexual orientation when he addressed a jury panel regarding the United States Supreme Court’s anticipated decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, and interjected his personal religious belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman and solicited prayers regarding the Justices’ deliberations.  Further, the judge’s extra-judicial activities cast reasonable doubt on his capacity to act impartially as a judge when he posted a comment on his Facebook page regarding the personal decision of a defendant regarding her pregnancy indicating his public condemnation of the defendant’s decision in that regard.  [Violation of Canons 3B(6) and 4A(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.]  Private Admonition of a District Court Judge.  04/18/18.