| Action |
Date Issued |
Summary |
| Private Admonition of a County Court at Law Judge (09/22/08). |
09/22/2008 |
The judge, without notice to the defendant or his attorney, contacted the defendant's employer to alert them to the fact that criminal charges were pending against the defendant. [Violation of Canon 2A of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a County Court at Law Judge (09/22/08). |
| Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace (09/22/08). |
09/22/2008 |
A judge allowed his name and judicial title to be used to solicit funds on behalf of a scholarship program. [Violation of Canons 2B and 4C(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace (09/22/08). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (09/22/08). |
09/22/2008 |
The judge failed to provide a citizen reasonable access to inquest records as required by law. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (09/22/08). |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (12/02/08) |
12/02/2008 |
Following a small claims hearing at which the defendant failed to appear, the judge signed and issued to the plaintiff improper orders in the case. In doing so, the judge failed to comply with the law, demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law, and failed to accord a litigant the right to be heard according to law. [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. (12/02/08) |
| Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace. (12/02/08) |
12/02/2008 |
The judge chastised and directed profanity toward a constable on two separate occasions "“ one relating to service of process on a small claims defendant and one relating to service of an arrest warrant. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace. (12/02/08) |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (12/18/08) |
12/18/2008 |
Because of prior dealings with a member of a local defense firm, the judge criticized an attorney from that firm who had asked for a continuance in his client's traffic case, questioning his professionalism, integrity and decency. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (12/18/08) |
| Private Warning of a Municipal Court Judge. (12/18/08) |
12/18/2008 |
After her mother-in-law received a traffic citation, the judge wrote a letter to and telephoned another court in an attempt to resolve the case and obtain favorable treatment for her relative. [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Municipal Court Judge. (12/18/08) |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (12/18/08) |
12/18/2008 |
The judge mishandled a traffic case by assessing a dismissal fee and assessing a fine when no trial had been conducted. The judge also presided over cases involving speeding citations issued by a Department of Public Safety patrolman, who was related to the judge within the degree prohibited by law, improperly exercised jurisdiction over Class A misdemeanor cases, and erroneously assessed fines in those cases. The judge further improperly jailed a parent for contributing to truancy without first determining that the parent did not have legal custody of the child. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (12/18/08) |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (12/18/08) |
12/18/2008 |
The judge entertained a tenant's ex parte complaint about the landlord's termination of water service to the property; called the landlord by telephone and ordered him to restore water service to the rental property before the eviction hearing took place; and penalized the landlord for terminating water service to the property by refusing to award the landlord past-due rent. [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. (12/18/08) |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (01/21/09) |
01/21/2009 |
Following an argument with an individual in the judge's office, the judge caused the individual to be detained in county jail on a contempt of court charge, which was later changed to a disorderly conduct charge. Shortly after the detention, the judge magistrated and released the individual from custody. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(1) and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (01/21/09) |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (01/22/09) |
01/22/2009 |
The judge failed to comply with the Code of Criminal Procedure when handling an attorney's timely written requests to appeal his clients' traffic cases. Instead, the judge had the clients served with capias pro fine warrants without notice to their attorney and without permitting the defendants the requisite period of time in which to pay their fines or file an appeal bond. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (01/22/09) |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (03/09/09) |
03/09/2009 |
The judge failed to follow the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law by: 1) issuing a capias pro fine warrant for a truant's arrest for violating the terms of deferred disposition without complying with the procedures set forth in Article 45.051(c-1), (c-2) and (d) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure; 2) issuing a capias pro fine warrant for a truant's arrest for an offense committed before the truant's seventeenth birthday without complying with the procedures set for in Articles 45.045 and 45.050 of the Texas Code of Code of Criminal Procedure; and 3) destroying court records in violation of the law. [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. (03/09/09) |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (04/06/09) |
04/06/2009 |
The judge failed to follow the law and maintain competence in the law when she barred an eviction suit party's non-attorney representative from the courtroom during the eviction proceeding. Further, the judge improperly denied the party's fundamental right to be heard according to law by not allowing the party's agent to assist him in the eviction proceeding. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (04/06/09) |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Judge. (04/06/09) |
04/06/2009 |
The judge failed to follow the law and demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when he summoned individuals to his court to attempt to mediate a dispute between the individuals when no case was pending in his court. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition & Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Judge. (04/06/09) |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (04/06/09) |
04/06/2009 |
The judge failed to follow the law and demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when she summoned individuals to appear in her court when no criminal complaint had been filed and no case was pending. [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. (04/06/09) |
| Private Admonition of a District Judge. (04/16/09) |
04/16/2009 |
The judge initiated a communication concerning a contested motion for summary judgment with an attorney who was his former law partner outside the presence of the other parties or their attorneys. [Violation of Canon 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Judge. (04/16/09) |
| Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace. (04/16/09) |
04/16/2009 |
The judge issued a Writ of Execution pursuant to Rule 632 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, which would have improperly allowed for the execution on personal property in satisfaction of a default judgment issued out of small claims court. As a result, the judgment debtor was arrested for following the advice of counsel and not allowing the constable to execute an unlawful Writ. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Justice of the Peace. (04/16/09) |
| Private Admonition of a Municipal Court Judge. (04/28/09) |
04/28/2009 |
The judge relinquished his judicial duties to officers in the police department and allowed them to accept pleas and collect fines and court costs from criminal defendants arrested on Class C misdemeanor or "sight" offenses and/or arrested on outstanding warrants and capiases. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Municipal Court Judge. (04/28/09) |
| Private Admonition of a Municipal Court Judge. (05/26/09). |
05/26/2009 |
The judge failed to obtain the mandatory judicial education hours during fiscal year 2008. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Municipal Court Judge. (05/26/09). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (06/03/09). |
06/03/2009 |
The judge failed to obtain the mandatory judicial education hours during fiscal year 2008. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (06/03/09). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (06/03/09). |
06/03/2009 |
The judge failed to obtain the mandatory judicial education hours during fiscal year 2008. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (06/03/09). |
