| Action |
Date Issued |
Summary |
| Private Admonition of a District Judge (09/15/05) |
09/15/2005 |
The judge was quoted in a local newspaper regarding his efforts to raise money through a high school booster club. [Violation of Canon 4C(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Judge (09/15/05). |
| Private Warning of a District Judge (10/21/05). |
10/21/2005 |
The judge failed to follow proper recusal rules and procedures in several cases where the judge's relatives were parties in interest. [Violation of Canon 3B(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a District Judge (10/21/05). |
| Private Warning of a District Judge (10/21/05) |
10/21/2006 |
The judge was overheard loudly criticizing a colleague for not recusing himself from a case involving the judge's child. [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a District Judge (10/21/05). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (12/09/05). |
12/09/2005 |
Based on ex parte information obtained from his court clerk, the judge reinstated a criminal case after signing an order of dismissal. The judge later dismissed the case a second time. In each instance of dismissal, the judge used a "generic" dismissal motion that had been intended by the prosecutor for use in a different case, or set of cases, than the case in question. [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 (12/09/05). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Court Judge (01/26/06) |
01/26/2006 |
The judge allowed community service defendants to sign his name to arrest warrants issued by the court, in some instances before the filing of a probable cause affidavit or complaint, rather than allow court staff or city personnel to use the judge's signature stamp in his presence and under his direction, as permitted by law. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Court Judge (01/26/06). |
| Private Reprimand of a Former Judge (02/03/06) |
02/03/2006 |
The judge made inappropriate comments to an attorney and conducted cell phone conversations during a proceeding. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand of a Former Judge (02/03/06). |
| Private Admonition of a County Court at Law Judge (03/06/06) |
03/06/2006 |
The judge improperly used the prestige of his judicial office to advance the private interests of his niece and nephew by using official court letterhead to ask a federal judge for consideration in sentencing the judge's relatives. [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a County Court at Law Judge (03/06/06). |
| .] Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Judge (03/23/06) |
03/23/2006 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when he granted deferred adjudication to commercial drivers license holders under Article 42.12 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Judge (03/23/06). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (04/06/06) |
04/06/2006 |
The judge failed to follow the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when, during the magistration process, he dismissed pending traffic citations against a defendant based on his own personal opinion that it was impossible for the defendant's vehicle to travel at the speed alleged by the arresting officer. Likewise, the judge failed to follow the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when he credited the defendant with time served on the charges without first accepting the defendant's plea of guilty or no contest on any of the charges. [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 (04/06/06). |
| Private Reprimand and Order of Additional Education of a District Judge. (05/04/06). |
05/04/2006 |
The judge made demeaning and discourteous comments to certain litigants appearing before his court in a manner that did not reflect the appropriate demeanor expected of a judicial officer. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand & Order of Additional Education of a District Judge. (05/04/06). |
| Private Warning of a District Judge. (05/04/06) |
05/04/2006 |
The judge made demeaning and discourteous comments to a litigant appearing before his court in a manner that did not reflect the appropriate demeanor expected of a judicial officer. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a District Judge. (05/04/06). |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (05/04/06) |
05/04/2006 |
The judge's conduct resulted in the filing of a lawsuit by an employee against the county which received extensive media coverage. As a public official charged with upholding the honor and integrity of the judiciary, the judge knew or should have known that his actions would cast public discredit upon the integrity of the judiciary. [Violation of Article V, §1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution.] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (05/04/06). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (05/24/06) |
05/24/2006 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when he dismissed an eviction suit without notice or hearing, then reinstated the case without notice or hearing. Additionally, the judge or his staff failed to maintain complete and accurate court records. [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. (05/24/06). |
| ]. Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (05/24/06) |
05/24/2006 |
The judge demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when he failed to comply with the procedural requirements set out in the Texas Property Code, the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, and the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code in issuing a Writ of Possession. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct]. Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (05/24/06). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (06/15/06) |
06/15/2006 |
The judge demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when he failed to announce his ruling in open court, as required by Rule 557 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. [Violation of 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (06/15/06). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Judge. (07/10/06) |
07/10/2006 |
The judge demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when he dismissed a traffic defendant's speeding ticket without a motion from the prosecutor and based on erroneous representations from the City Administrator that the ticket had been issued outside the city limits. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Judge. (07/10/06). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (07/27/06) |
07/27/2006 |
The judge demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when she went forward with a trial and found a traffic defendant guilty in absentia, then issued an arrest warrant against the defendant for failure to appear without completing the underlying paperwork laying out the requisites of a written complaint upon which to base the warrant. Further, the judge erred when she detained the defendant until she was able to pay the outstanding fine assessed against her in the underlying traffic case and failed to afford the defendant the opportunity to post bond to secure her release from custody. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (07/27/06). |
