Judge Sharon "Killer" Keller: "I Won!"

Mary Alice Robbins at Texas Lawyer (a publication of Law.com) has this interview with Texas Criminal Court of Appeals Chief Judge, Sharon Keller, who proclaims herself completely exonerated following the eleventh-hour dismissal of ethics charges.  The charges against Keller included, Judge Keller's refusal to hold open the clerk's office for the late-filing of a motion to stay of execution of a Texas death row inmate executed later that evening. 

As you will recall Judge Keller had an appliance repairman to attend to; while the ;lawyers for the late Michael Richard's lawyers' struggled with balky technology, occasioning their late arrival at the clerk's office. 

Dante describes a place where judges like Sharon Keller will find themselves, if not in reality, metaphorically, Judge Keller is already there.  I wouldn't be surprised based on the remarks to the reporter from Texas Lawyer, that Judge Keller already knows.

She's Suffered Enough--Judge Sharon Keller Update

At the link you can read the numerous Bad Lawyer stories about "her Honor," Judge Sharon Keller (pic, top), the Texas Chief Criminal Appeals Judge who was too busy to keep the clerk's office open for a couple of extra minutes to receive for filing the petition on behalf of a Texas Death Row inmate, Michael Richards (pic, bottom) who would be executed a few hours later.  If you read the posts, and stories linked to at the various posts you will learn that the executed inmate, Michael Richards, had a meritorious appeal based on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, that would in all likelihood have been granted saving his life at least at that moment.   Too bad, for Michael Richards.  As I said, he's dead.

Judge Keller drew a disciplinary complaint for her callous disregard of her judicial responsibilities.  But this being the f*&%^g Republic of Texas, and despite collateral problems with Keller's financial ethics, the disciplinary authorities were moved to reprimand her, only.  Now get this, Judge Keller was so outraged by this miscarriage of justice she appealed.

In the words of Judge Keller's mouthpiece she's "suffered enough!" Now appellate panel has issued its opinion which is at the link, they agree.  There is no discipline for Judge Keller.

Here's the ABAJournal.com story.

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?

The Dallas News: Judge Sharon Keller

Please follow this link to the column at the Dallas News on Judge Sharon Keller.  Judge Keller remains the Presiding Judge of the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals.  She was found to have violated the Code of Judicial Ethics when among other things she refused to hold open the Clerk of Courts office to receive a protentially meritorious motion and brief based on a US  Supreme Court decision from that morning.   The death row inmate was executed by Texas that evening.

Our love affair with the Angel of Death, in Texas, Mississipi, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia and elsewhere continues, but I am encouraged.  Maybe we are beginning to see just how capricious and arbitrary and perverse this judgment is in operation and outcome.  Visualize the death of the Angel of Death.

Contempt of Court

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/us/18judge.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Texas%20judge&st=cse

Here's the deal, we all know this is an arrogant judge--but it's Texas. I honestly never imagined that a Judge like Judge Sharon Keller would face a consequence in Texas of Godawfulplaces--at least, for the puny little act of greasing the needle. I'm surprised Judge Keller isn't getting a Judicial award of some sort.

Here's a clue--this sort of judicial arrogance is par for the course. So many of your public officials and so many of your tax-funded support staff--have nothing but contempt for you, you, the citizens they are supposed to serve.

In trial, my partner and I represented a rape victim and her husband--the elected trial judge was too lazy (er, busy) to try the case himself so it was "spun" to a "visiting" judge (an old retired sack of gas); at the outset of the trial, the Judge in front of the jury shouted at the rape victim's husband when the Judge who was nearly deaf, couldn't make out the husband's answer to a preliminary question.

An objection to the Judge's rudeness and disrespect made privately in chambers, by your Bad Lawyer, was later characterized by the Judge to the jury in open court as the rape victim's lawyer lying about him! The court of appeals later exonerated the Judge's trial conduct by saying that a later curative instruction to disregard his odious conduct fixed any mistake the Judge made in tainting the trial which ended in a 6-2 verdict against the rape victim and her husband. Justice in your home town--ain't a whole lot better then deep in the heart of Texas.