Private Admonition of a Municipal Court Judge (06/25/02)
06/25/2002
The judge found a courtroom spectator in direct contempt for the unauthorized practice of law, and ordered him to spend 72 hours in jail and pay a fine of $100. Instead of holding a hearing to determine whether the spectator had engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, the judge drew his own conclusion based on a conversation that was related to him by a third party. The judge did not follow proper contempt procedures, denied the alleged contemnor the right to be heard, and unlawfully deprived the alleged contemnor of his liberty by sentencing him to jail. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Municipal Court Judge (06/25/02)
