| Action |
Date Issued |
Summary |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (09/09/04) |
09/09/2004 |
The judge's actions regarding the adjudication of a defendant's case, particularly his telephone call to the defendant requesting her to appear before him and his actions in reducing an assault charge to a Class "C" misdemeanor offense in order to place the case within the jurisdiction of his court, did not comply with the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, indicating a lack of competence in the law. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (09/09/04) |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (09/09/04) |
09/09/2004 |
The judge failed to maintain an accurate bookkeeping and accounting system in his court and failed to timely and properly account for and deposit monies collected by his court, indicating a lack of competence in the law. [Violations of Section 103.004 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 113.022 of the Texas Local Government Code, and Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (09/09/04) |
| Private Warning of a County Judge (11/18/04) |
11/18/2004 |
Using county letterhead, the judge wrote a letter to a U.S. Senator regarding a private dispute. The letterhead included the judge's full name and title, listed the names of the county commissioners, and was signed by the judge with the designation of "County Judge." The bottom of the letter bore the statement, "Not printed or mailed at government expense." In his explanation to the Commission, the judge stated that he thought he would be in compliance with the Code of Judicial Conduct by adding the phrase, "Not printed or mailed at government expense." [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Warning of a County Judge (11/18/04) |
| Private Admonition of a District Judge (11/18/04) |
11/18/2004 |
The judge leased office space to an attorney who regularly practiced in his court, conveying or permitting others to convey the impression that the attorney was in a special position to influence the judge. The judge's business relationship with the attorney also involved the judge in frequent transactions with a lawyer who regularly comes before the court. Finally, the judge's failure to disclose the nature of his relationship with the attorney to prosecutors prevented any opportunity for the opposing side to urge the judge's recusal if such actions were appropriate. [Violation of Canons 2B, 3B(1) and 4D(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Admonition of a District Judge (11/18/04) |
| Private Admonition of a County Court at Law Judge (11/18/04). |
11/18/2004 |
The judge allowed an attorney who regularly practices in his court to office in his building and perform legal work for his company, conveying the impression that the attorney was in a special position to influence the judge. The judge's business relationship with the attorney also reflected adversely on the judge's impartiality and involved the judge in frequent transactions with a lawyer who regularly appeared in his court. Finally, the judge's failure to voluntarily recuse himself from a case involving the attorney or, in the alternative, to disclose the nature of his business relationship with the attorney to opposing counsel and the litigants, led to an appearance of impropriety of such nature and degree as to ultimately require that the judge be ordered removed from the case. [Violation of Canons 2B, 3B(1) and 4D(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Admonition of a County Court at Law Judge (11/18/04). |
| 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). |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (12/21/04). |
12/21/2004 |
Based on a complaint filed by his clerk, the judge issued an arrest warrant without analyzing the complaint to determine if probable cause existed. The Commission concluded from the judge's conduct that he failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (12/21/04). |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (01/19/05) |
01/19/2005 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when he issued criminal process for defendants in civil cases, and summoned them to court with a show cause order. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (01/19/05) |
| Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace (01/19/05). |
01/19/2005 |
The judge displayed a bumper sticker or sign endorsing his son's candidacy for public office on a vehicle which the judge owned and operated. The judge's conduct was found to have constituted a public endorsement of another candidate for public office. The judge was also found to have lent the prestige of his judicial office to advance the private interests of his son. [Violation of Canons 2B and 5(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace (01/19/05). |
| Private Warning of a Senior Judge (01/19/05). |
01/19/2005 |
While presiding over a felony jury trial, the judge directed profanity at the defense attorney in a conversation before the bench. The judge's statement to the lawyer during these proceedings was found to lack patience, dignity and courtesy. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Senior Judge (01/19/05). |
| Private Admonition of a District Judge (01/19/05). |
01/19/2005 |
Following a hearing in a hotly contested custody dispute, the judge observed a meeting between the pro se litigant and opposing counsel and approached them to foster a settlement discussion between the two. During the discussion, the judge engaged the litigant in a confrontational conversation that escalated to the point that the judge threatened to shoot the man if he ever saw him near the judge's home. The judge's statements to the litigant were found to lack patience, dignity and courtesy. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Judge (01/19/05). |
| Private Warning of a District Judge (02/21/05). |
02/21/2005 |
The judge lent the prestige of his judicial office to advance the private interests of his wife when he publicly supported her campaign for county commissioner, and when he allowed his judicial title to be used in her campaign literature. [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a District Judge (02/21/05). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (02/21/05). |
02/21/2005 |
A school district's police officers were conducting traffic stops within the judge's precinct, during which time the judge was pulled over and issued a verbal warning. Thereafter, the judge wrote a letter to the chief of police for the local independent school district threatening to hold the school district police department in contempt of court although (a) no criminal complaint or case was pending in his court, (b) no court order had been issued to form the basis of contempt charges, and (c) the judge was unaware that the police officers were acting with authority. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (02/21/05). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (03/17/05). |
03/17/2005 |
The judge conducted a trial and entered an order purporting to enforce a provision in a decree of divorce, even though the judge did not have jurisdiction to hear the matter. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (03/17/05). |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (03/17/05) |
03/17/2005 |
The judge's failure to render a judgment in a small claims matter until sixteen (16) months after the case was heard, and after the plaintiff made numerous attempts to contact the judge in order to obtain a judgment, constituted a willful, persistent and unjustifiable failure to timely execute the business of the court. [Violation of Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution and Section 33.001(b)(1) of the Texas Government Code] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (03/17/05) |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (04/29/05). |
04/29/2005 |
The judge adjudicated a dispute between two individuals and issued a written order granting possession of property to one of the individual's representatives when there was no case pending in his court. In doing so, the judge failed to comply with the law, and failed to maintain professional competence in the law. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (04/29/05). |
| Private Warning of a County Court at Law Judge (04/29/05). |
04/29/2005 |
The judge displayed poor judgment when he met privately with a person who had a disagreement with the judge, and then made comments to that person that could reasonably be construed as threatening or intimidating. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a County Court at Law Judge (04/29/05). |
| Private Warning of a Former District Judge (06/08/05). |
06/08/2005 |
The judge made sarcastic and untoward remarks to the defendant and his attorney with others present in the courtroom hallway while the defendant was waiting to appear before a grand jury. The judge's remarks demonstrated a lack of dignity and courtesy and also displayed prejudice against the defendant. The judge's remarks were possibly heard by some of the grand jurors who subsequently returned an indictment against the defendant. [Violation of Canons 3B(4) and 3B(5) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct] Private Warning of a Former District Judge (06/08/05). |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05) |
06/08/2005 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when he allowed a case that had originally been filed in a municipal court to be "transferred" to his justice court. Further, the judge failed to take the necessary steps to bring the criminal defendant before the court prior to adjudicating his guilt in the case. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05) |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
06/08/2005 |
The judge exploited his position and used the prestige of his judicial office to advance his own private interests when he sent a pre-suit demand to the defendants in his private lawsuit, and then filed pleadings in the case, utilizing his judicial title in both instances. [Violation of Canons 2B and 4D(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
06/08/2005 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when she issued letters to two individuals which were de facto peace bond orders in which the judge threatened the recipients with confinement in jail if her instructions were violated. The judge failed to give the recipients of her letters the opportunity to be heard in the matter, and failed to conduct a hearing of any sort in the case. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
| Private Warning of a County Judge (06/08/05). |
06/08/2005 |
The judge wrote a letter on behalf of a local political party, identifying himself as the County Judge, and criticized an incumbent candidate for public office. By singling out and targeting this particular candidate for criticism, the judge implicitly urged voters to support the candidate's opponent. Although the judge performed judicial functions, the Commission determined that he was not acting in an administrative capacity as Chief Executive Officer of the County when he sent the letter. [Violation of Canons 2B, 5(2), and 6B(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct. Private Warning of a County Judge (06/08/05). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
06/08/2005 |
The judge failed to render judgment in open court at the conclusion of a trial in a small claims suit, as required under Rule 557 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
| Private Reprimand of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
06/08/2005 |
The judge used "vulgar and profane language" in front of students, their parents, school personnel and court officials while presiding over truancy matters. The Commission concluded that the judge's "tough love" lecture to students appearing before her in criminal proceedings lacked the patience, dignity and courtesy required of a judicial officer. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand of a Justice of the Peace (06/08/05). |
| Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace (08/11/05). |
08/11/2005 |
The judge engaged in improper ex parte communications concerning the merits of a case that was likely to come before his court, failed to afford the defendant the basic rights and safeguards guaranteed by the constitutions of Texas and the United States, and dismissed a case without authority from the State when he conducted an "informal hearing" and attempted to mediate the issues between two litigants in the absence of one of the parties and the State. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 6C(2), Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace (08/11/05). |
| Private Admonition of a District Judge (08/30/05). |
08/30/2005 |
The judge received free use of a limousine on two occasions from parties or persons whose interests frequently came before him. [Violation of Canon 4D(4)(c) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Judge (08/30/05). |
