Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a County Judge. (04/07/08)

04/07/2008

The judge abdicated official judicial duties by relinquishing control of the court's criminal docket to the county attorney, whose office was unable to handle the volume of work due to staff shortages. In doing so, the judge failed to ensure that the criminal cases filed were set for hearings and trials in a timely manner, which jeopardized the due process rights of defendants and left the public's interests likewise unprotected. [Violation of Canons 3B(1) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution, and Section 33.001(b)(1) of the Texas Government Code.] Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a County Judge. (04/07/08)