Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (09/23/13).
09/23/2013
The judge failed to adequately supervise his court staff, failed to failed to follow the law, and/or demonstrate a lack of professional competence in the law when: 1) the defendant's change of plea was accepted by telephone without any written documentation; 2) the defendant was prevented by the court clerk from having the judge determine whether he could be placed on a payment plan, as required by Article 45.041(b)(2) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure; 3) the judge signed and issued a capias pro fine warrant that improperly directed law enforcement officials to incarcerate the defendant, rather than directing them to take the defendant to court for a hearing to be conducted pursuant to Article 45.046 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure; and 4) the judge's court staff engaged in inadequate record-keeping procedures, which contributed to the confusion that occurred in resolving the defendant's case. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (09/23/13).
