Back in February, I blogged on Judge Sharon Keller, a member of the Texas' highest criminal court. Long story short, she refused a request to keep the clerk's office open for 20 minutes to file an appeal for a death row inmate scheduled to be executed that night. The delay was required because a) the Supreme Court had the day before released a decision radically altering the legal terrain upon which the execution rested and b) a computer crash had prevented the lawyers from filing the brief earlier. But Judge Keller wanted to go home on time, so she said no.
I mentioned at the time that I was skeptical Judge Keller would face any repercussions for her outrageous conduct. But perhaps I had too little faith in the Texas system (you'll have to forgive me). The state's Commission on Judicial Conduct is holding a special hearing to address charges she committed "willful or persistent conduct that cast public discredit on the judiciary, among other things." If found guilty, she could be stripped of her status as presiding judge or removed from the court entirely.
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4 comments:
If see was a union member, then no one would be questioning her ability to leave at quittime time. Why the double standard?
Because union members don't have the authority to kill people?
Also, my understanding is that union members can be forced to stay late -- they just need to be paid overtime. If Judge Keller wanted the extra $50 for staying 20 minutes (although my understanding is that she didn't have to stay at all -- she just had to approve the clerk's office staying open), by all means, chuck the money at her blackened heart.
Kill Keller's career indeed. Just wanted to shout out some solidarity... ugh, this one breaks my heart - so many of them do, but this one's been making the internet rounds lately, and just ugh. And then she said last week she'd make the same decision if she could do it all over again... sigh.
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