Texas Judge Sharon Keller Reprimanded, the Defendant She Denied Access To, He's Dead

Even in Texas, a Judge can act disgracefully, the Hon. Sharon Keller (pic), is that judge. 

This  is one of several Bad Lawyer posts about Judge Keller, the Presiding Texas Judge who refused to hold open the Clerk of Courts office so a filing in a capital punishment case could be received by the court in a a last ditch effort to save the life an inmate, Michael Richard (pic) then on death row.  The motion Mr. Richard's lawyers sought to file was based on a U.S. Supreme decision on letahl injection procedures handed down that very morning and likely would have been granted.  Because Judge Keller had to go home and meet an appliance repairman, she said, she refused to hold open the Clerk's office and Mr. Richard's was executed.

The ABAJournal reports on the reprimand Keller received from the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct and her "shock and disappointment."

This is a reversal of fortune for poor Judge Keller, a special master previously recommended no sanction having concluded that she had suffered enough. 

Judge Sharon Keller

In the early days of this Blawg I was dripping with contempt for Texas and Judge Sharon Keller (pic) who came up on judicial misconduct charges for refusing to hold open the clerk's office for the filing of emergency papeers to stay the execution of a death row inmate put to death later that evening.  His lawyers had called ahead and explained that they were having word processing problems and were on their way to the courthouse, albeit late. 

As you will recall, the Texas ethics-police decided that Judge Keller's ghoulish deviation from public service had caused her to "suffer enough" in terms of left-wing outrage and scrutiny and no action was taken against her.  Texas loves its death penalty.

Then over the weekend, the New York Times ran a little national squip piece, apparently there are some ethical lines Judge Keller crossed that did get her sanctioned, she grossly underreported income and assets and she has been ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.  Obviously, grotesquely greasing the skids for the Angel of Death is not on par or an equivalent offense with, lying about money--at least in Texas. Here's a link to the Austin Statesman article on Keller, it has a little more information than the New York Times' article.

You can hear me, can't you?  WTF?

No Punishment for Judge Keller, Remember: Oops the Clerk's Office Closes at 5 Sharp Even for Death Row Inmates

We all remember presiding Texas Judge "Killer" Keller who famously refused to respond or hold open the Clerk of Courts office in the case of Michael Richard who was put to death that night in Texas two years ago.  His appellate attorney who had had major technical difficulties printing needed documents called Judge Keller at 4:45, while enroute to file legal papers that might have stayed his execution.  On the stand, in her judicial disciplinary trial, Keller testified she would have done nothing differently. 



Late yesterday afternoon, the Dallas Morning News reported at their website that the Judge who presided over her Judicial ethics matter, believes that Judge Keller should receive no sanction, not even a reprimand, because her public humiliation has "been enough."  Huh?  Are you kidding us?

Let's see, deny due process, in Texas, inmate dies--that'll be no sanction.