| Action |
Date Issued |
Summary |
| Private Reprimand and OAE of Justice of the Peace (09/08/16) |
09/08/2016 |
The judge failed to comply with the law; failed to maintain professional competence in the law; allowed a relationship with a family member to influence the judge's judgment and conduct; acted with bias toward the family member; and took action in a judicial proceeding in which she was disqualified when she (1) magistrated the family member; (2) released the family member on PR bonds, and (3) later released the family member without any bond. The judge also engaged in extra-judicial conduct that cast reasonable doubt on her capacity to act impartially as a judge and lent the prestige of judicial office to advance her and the family member's private interests. [Violation of Canons 2A, 2B, 3B(1), 3B(2), 3B(5) and 4A(1).] Private Reprimand & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 09/08/16. |
| Justice of the Peace |
09/08/2016 |
The judge failed to maintain order and decorum in the criminal proceedings before her; failed to treat the defendants she magistrate with patience, dignity, and courtesy; and engaged in willful conduct that cast public discredit on the judiciary and the administration of justice when she wore a Halloween costume during the performance of her judicial duties. [Violation of Canons 3B(3) and 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, and Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution.] Private Admonition & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 09/08/16. |
| Private Admonition of a District Judge (10/24/16) |
10/24/2016 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain profession competence in the law by failing to inform an unrepresented child custody litigant facing incarceration for contempt of court about the litigant's right to be represented by counsel and by failing to make an inquiry about the litigant's financial ability to afford an attorney. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Court Judge. 10/24/16. |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (01/03/17) |
01/03/2017 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and demonstrated a lack of professional competence in the law when he failed to set and conduct an examining trial despite repeated requests by the defendant's attorney. The judge's failure to conduct the requested examining trial was inconsistent with the proper performance of his judicial duties. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct and Article V, Section 1-a(6)(a) of the Texas Constitution.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 01/03/17. |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Court Judge (5/30/17) |
05/30/2017 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and failed to maintain professional competence in the law when he entered "cash only" bonds in violation of Article 17.02 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. [Violation of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Court Judge. 05/30/17. |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of JP (6/12/17) |
06/12/2017 |
The judge improperly allowed a relationship to influence his judicial conduct when he magistrated an acquaintance after business hours, who had been to the judge's home "multiple times" and whom the judge had known for many years. [Violation of Canons 2A, 2B, 3B(1) and 3B(5) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 06/12/17. |
| Private Reprimand of a District Court Judge (6/20/17) |
06/20/2017 |
The judge knowingly and recklessly misrepresented facts concerning the specific class of cases pending in his court, and made pledges or promises concerning how he would handle "judicial bypass requests" during his 2016 campaign. [Violation of Canon 5(1)(i-ii) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand of a District Court Judge. 06/20/17. |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (7/17/17) |
07/17/2017 |
The judge misused his position and the prestige of judicial office when he sent a letter on his official judicial letterhead to another court, asking for help with his bailiff's speeding ticket. The judge also failed to comply with the law when he issued a citation in an eviction matter which failed to comply with Rule 510.4 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. [Violation of Canons 2A and 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 07/17/17. |
| Private Reprimand and Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Court Judge (8/8/17) |
08/08/2017 |
The judge failed to maintain professional competence in the law, and willfully violated the rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas, when he failed to complete three of the sixteen hours of judicial education required of a municipal court judge during the fiscal year. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct and Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution.] Private Reprimand & Order of Additional Education of a Municipal Court Judge. 08/08/17. |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (8/8/17) |
08/08/2017 |
The judge failed to comply with the law; failed to maintain professional competence in the law; and engaged in improper ex parte communications when he: (1) failed to follow the procedures set forth in Article 45.0511 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, concerning a defendant's failure to comply with terms of deferment on specified motor vehicle violations, by issuing a warrant before holding a show cause hearing; and (2) met privately with a defendant in his chambers, without the defendant's counsel or a prosecutor present, and resolved the defendant's warrant. [Violation of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 6C(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 08/08/17. |
| Private Warning of a County Judge (8/8/17) |
08/08/2017 |
The judge improperly used and exploited his judicial position and engaged in improper financial and business dealings when, after admitting a will to probate and approving the appointment of the executor of the probate estate, he negotiated the purchase of estate property from the executor, whose continued status as executor was subject to the judge's discretion. [Violation of Canons 2B, 3B(11) and 4D(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a County Judge. 08/08/17. |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional education of a Justice of Peace (8/8/17) |
08/08/2017 |
The judge failed to follow the law and maintain professional competence in the law when he failed to timely forward an eviction defendant's appeal to the county court. [Violation of Canon 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 08/08/17. |
| Private Warning and Order of Addiotinal Education of a Justice of the Peace (8/8/17) |
08/08/2017 |
The judge exhibited bias and prejudice in the performance of her judicial duties against the alleged victim of an assault involving family violence when she: (1) stated that she was going to give the defendant a low bond because the alleged victim had "ruined my relationship with my son;" (2) admitted that she had an issue with the alleged victim during magistration; and (3) commented that she thought the case had already been dismissed and issued the defendant a Personal Recognizance bond after he was arrested on a new warrant. [Violation of Canons 2B, 3B(1) and 3B(5) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. 08/08/17. |
| Private Admonition of a District Court Judge (8/8/17) |
08/08/2017 |
The judge failed to afford the State an opportunity to be heard when he failed to conduct an oral hearing before granting the co-defendants' motions for community supervision as required by the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. [Violation of Canon 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Court Judge. 08/08/17. |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a District Court Judge (8/21/17) |
08/21/2017 |
The judge failed to treat a witness with the dignity and courtesy expected of a judicial officer by using the power of contempt to pressure the witness into providing specific testimony. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a District Court Judge. 08/21/17. |
