Private Admonition of a District Judge (12/21/04).
12/21/2004
The judge acted in a biased manner by appointing her friend and former colleague as special prosecutor in a high profile criminal case after the attorney had previously represented the judge in a matter relating to the investigation of the criminal case in question. By making such an appointment, the Commission concluded that the judge allowed her relationship with the attorney to influence her conduct and judgment. Although the judge had authority to appoint a special prosecutor in the case, the Commission further concluded that in this particular instance, the judge's appointment of her friend lacked impartiality and involved factors unrelated to merit alone. [Violation of Canons 2B, 3B(5) and 3C(4), Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Admonition of a District Judge (12/21/04).
