| Action |
Date Issued |
Summary |
| Private Warning of a Municipal Court Judge (9/8/20) |
09/08/2020 |
The judge failed to be patient, dignified and courteous towards a juvenile defendant in her court when, improperly straying from her judicial role, she grabbed his arm and turned him towards her. [Violation of Canon 3B(4) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Municipal Court Judge. (9/8/20). |
| Private Warning of a Former Justice of the Peace (11/12/20) |
11/12/2020 |
The judge cast doubt on his capacity to act impartially to persons appearing before him as a judge due to such persons' sexual orientation when he made a public statement on his Facebook page that he would refuse to officiate same-sex weddings if asked and reiterated his position regarding officiating same-sex weddings in a subsequent statement to the media. [Violation of Canon 4A(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Former Justice of the Peace. (11/12/20). |
| Private Reprimand and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (12/4/20) |
12/04/2020 |
The judge lent the prestige of his judicial office to advance the private interests of others when he placed a telephone call to a district court judge before whom a child custody case was pending to discuss the case and the parties. [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (12/4/20). |
| Private Warning of a District Court Judge (12/4/20) |
12/04/2020 |
The judge improperly failed to disqualify himself from presiding over a criminal case in which the State was seeking an adjudication of guilt and revocation of probation of the defendant approximately 11 years after the judge (as an attorney) had represented the same defendant in connection with the plea agreement that had resulted in the defendant's deferred adjudication and period of community supervision the State was seeking to revoke. [Violations of Canons 2A and 3B(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a District Court Judge. (12/4/20). |
| Private Warning of a Former District Court Judge (12/4/20) |
12/04/2020 |
The judge used her social media in a manner which could be perceived as advancing the private interests of the judge or others or authorizing the use of the judge's name to endorse other candidates for public office, or that conveyed the impression that others are in a special position to influence the judge. [Violations of Canons 2B and 5(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning of a Former District Court Judge. (12/4/20). |
| Private Admonition of a Former County Judge (12/4/20) |
12/04/2020 |
The judge created an appearance of impropriety, specifically, the appearance that he lent the prestige of his judicial office to advance the private interests of the judge or others, when he attended proceedings in a guardianship case after he had transferred the case from his court to the district court. [Violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Former County Judge. (12/4/20). |
| Private Admonition of a District Court Judge (12/4/20) |
12/04/2020 |
The judge engaged in improper ex parte communications when he proceeded with a hearing on a motion to modify judgment, and invited argument from defendant's counsel, who made their arguments, despite the absence of plaintiffs or their counsel. [Violation of Canon 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a District Court Judge. (12/4/20). |
| Private Warning of a Former Associate District Court Judge (12/4/20) |
12/04/2020 |
The judge lent the prestige of his judicial office to advance his own private interests, knowingly or recklessly misrepresented his identity, qualifications, present position, or other fact concerning himself, and engaged in willful conduct that was clearly inconsistent with the proper performance of his duties and that cast public discredit on the judiciary when he advertised on his Facebook page for and performed weddings in a manner which suggested his provision of those services came by virtue of his being a judge, when in fact, he was not authorized to perform such services as an associate judge. [Violation of Canons 2B and 5(1)(ii) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct and Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution.] Private Warning of a Former Associate District Court Judge. (12/4/20). |
| Private Reprimand and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (4/9/21) |
04/09/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and maintain professional competence in the law, failed to accord a person having a legal interest in a proceeding before him the right to be heard according to law, and engaged in improper ex parte communications when he: (1) engaged in improper ex parte communications with a complaining party regarding her peace bond application; (2) engaged in improper ex parte communications with the respondent regarding the peace bond application; (3) failed to accord the respondent the right to be heard according to law with respect to the peace bond application; (4) issued a peace bond in the matter without a sworn complaint; (5) failed to comply with his court's own written guidelines regarding peace bond procedures; and (6) had a custom of engaging in improper ex parte communications with both the applicant and respondent in peace bond matters. [Violations of Canons 2A, 3B(2), 3B(8) and 6C(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (4/9/21). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (4/29/21) |
04/29/2021 |
The judge failed to be patient, dignified and courteous to an eviction case defendant and witnesses, failed to accord the defendant the right to be heard according to law, failed to require order and decorum in proceedings before him, and failed to comply with the law or maintain competence in the law when he: (1) excluded the defendant and some witnesses from a court proceeding related to an eviction matter; (2) adjourned the eviction trial when the proceedings became chaotic; (3) obtaining evidence not presented in open court and basing his decision in the eviction matter on same; (4) failing to announce his decision in the eviction trial in open court; and (5) spoke rudely to and used profanity with the defendant when she attempted to file documents after the eviction trial. [Violations of Canons 2A, 3B(2), 3B(3), 3B(4) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (4/29/21). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (4/29/21) |
04/29/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and maintain professional competence in the law, and failed to accord a plaintiff the right to be heard according to law when he granted multiple continuances of an eviction case, well beyond the seven days provided by Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 510.7(c). [Violations of Canons 2A, 3B(2) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (4/29/21). |
| Private Reprimand of a Former District Court Judge (6/18/21) |
06/18/2021 |
The judge failed to be patient, dignified and courteous to a litigant and his counsel, demonstrated an improper prejudice against that litigant, and failed to accord him the right to be heard according to law. During a temporary orders hearing in a suit affecting the parent child relationship, the judge indicated his predisposition towards the litigant having any contact with his children based on the opposing party's presentation of her case, interrupted the testimony of the litigant's first and only witness, and discouraged further evidentiary presentation from the litigant and his counsel. [Violations of Canons 3B(4), 3B(5) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand of a Former District Court Judge. (6/18/21). |
| Private Admonition and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (7/1/21) |
07/01/2021 |
The judge implemented a policy that violated the public's constitutional right of access to the courts by requiring parties, attorneys and members of the public to sign in and be called up individually before being admitted into the courtroom, and closing the court to the public during proceedings. [Violations 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. (7/1/21). |
| Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (8/12/21) |
08/12/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and to maintain professional competence in the law when she improperly denied the release of court records to a citizen upon request for such records. [Violations of Canons 2A and 3B(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (8/12/21). |
| Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace (8/12/21) |
08/12/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law by owning and operating a personal vehicle equipped with red and blue flashing lights, which he regularly activated while using his personal vehicle in the performance of his judicial duties. Texas Transportation Code Section 547.305 restricts the use of such lights. Violation of Canon 2A of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Justice of the Peace. (8/12/21). |
| Private Admonition of a Former Municipal Court Judge (8/12/21) |
08/12/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law when she operated a motor vehicle while intoxicated, a criminal offense for which she successfully a completed a pre-trial diversion program. [Violation of Canon 2A of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Admonition of a Former Municipal Court Judge. (8/12/21). |
| Private Reprimand of a County Judge (8/12/21) |
08/12/2021 |
The judge engaged in willful conduct that cast public discredit on the judiciary when he operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of prescribed medications that impaired his ability to do so, which resulted in an accident causing significant property damage and serious bodily injury, and the judge's criminal conviction for driving while intoxicated. [Violation of Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution.] Private Reprimand of a County Judge. (8/12/21). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (8/12/21) |
08/12/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and maintain professional competence in the law, failed to be patient, dignified and courteous towards the constable and/or constable's office in his precinct, and failed to perform judicial duties without bias or prejudice, when he failed to issue citations for service of process to the constable's office as requested by litigants. The judge also failed to comply with the law and maintain professional competence in the law, and failed to accord a person having a legal interest in a proceeding before him the right to be heard according to law, when the court failed to properly notice a litigant of the initial trial setting in his case, and later, the judge failed to note a judgment amount and to properly set an appeal bond in the litigant's case. [Violations of Canons 2A, 3B(2), 3B(4), 3B(5) and 3B(8) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace. (8/12/21). |
| Private Reprimand and Order of Additional Education of a District Court Judge (8/16/21) |
08/16/2021 |
The judge allowed her relationship with acquaintances to influence her judicial conduct and judgment, lent the prestige of her judicial office to advance the private interests of those acquaintances, and performed judicial duties with bias or prejudice, when she traveled to the scene of a traffic stop involving those persons, communicated with law enforcement on the scene, signed a blood draw warrant related to the stop and performed the magistration of one of the involved individuals at the hospital. [Violation of Canons 2B and 3B(5) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.] Private Reprimand & Order of Additional Education of a District Court Judge. (8/16/21). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a Justice of the Peace (3/22/21) |
03/22/2021 |
The judge failed to comply with the law and to maintain professional competence in the law when he failed to obtain the judicial education and assistance necessary to properly preside over a civil trial before such case was presented, failed to announce his decision in that case in open court, and failed to use the proper judgment form in documenting his decision in the case. [Violations 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. (3/22/21). |
| Private Warning and Order of Additional Education of a District Court Judge |
03/25/2021 |
The judge commented publicly about a matter pending in her court in a manner which could suggest to a reasonable person her probable decision regarding such matter, and engaged in social media activities that cast reasonable doubt on her capacity to act impartially as a judge and interfered with the proper performance of her judicial duties. [Violations of Canons 3B(10), 4A(1) and 4A(2) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, and Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution.] Private Warning & Order of Additional Education of a District Court Judge. (3/25/21). |
