I hit the "subscription required" wall as well, found this: http://www.kltv.com/story/23747225/e-texas-judge-resigns-amid-texting-controversy
LIVINGSTON, TX (KTRE) - As a result of an agreement with an ethics commission, Judge Elizabeth Coker has resigned from her position over the 258th district following allegations that she texted a prosecutor during a trial. In a statement released Monday, Coker stated her resignation takes effect Dec. 6. However, she will be taking a voluntary leave of absence until that day. Coker said the resignation is part of an agreement with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which regulates communication between judges and lawyers. Until Later! C. Hatton Humphrey http://www.eastcoastconservative.com Every cloud does have a silver lining. Sometimes you just have to do some smelting to find it. On Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 4:02 PM, Jerry Milo Johnson <[email protected]>wrote: > > More proof that people are flawed, and those in positions of power need to > be watched over, and corrected when they do bad things. > > Oversight and penalties are the answer. > > (and oversight and penalties for the oversight people who refuse to do > their jobs, like Hon in this case). > > But, you know the system is pretty good when we hear about these things, > and they are being investigated, however ineptly. > > > > On Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 3:38 PM, LRS Scout <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I heard about this. > > > > More proof that the judiciary is as corrupt and complicit in tyranny add > > the other branches > > On Oct 28, 2013 3:33 PM, "Bruce Sorge" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > Heres the actual story. I dont know what a paywall is, but I am > > guessing > > > its not letting you see the story. > > > > > > > > > A Polk County district judge is accused of sending text messages from > the > > > bench to an assistant district attorney to help bolster the > prosecution's > > > case during a trial, according to an investigator's report. > > > > > > State District Judge Elizabeth E. Coker declined to return phone calls > to > > > comment on the allegations laid out in a report by Polk County > > investigator > > > David Wells. > > > > > > Wells was Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon's criminal investigator > > > when he made the report, but he now is a detective with the Angelina > > County > > > Sheriff's Department. > > > > > > After reviewing the report written five months ago, Hon issued a > > statement > > > this week saying he had found no communications from Coker that had > > > influenced a trial's outcome. He added that he expects the case to be > > > reviewed by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for possible > ethical > > > violations that could require disciplinary action against the elected > > judge. > > > > > > The Texas Defense Lawyers Association also is investigating the > incident, > > > which it deems "unusual," said association spokesman Stanley Schneider. > > > > > > Message relayed > > > > > > According to Wells' report, the investigation was triggered when he saw > > > assistant prosecutor Kaycee Jones relay a text message from Coker > during > > > the Aug. 8 jury trial of David Reeves. Reeves was being tried on a > felony > > > charge of injury to a child. > > > > > > Jones was not assigned to the Reeves case but was in the courtroom > during > > > the trial as an observer. > > > > > > Before the trial began, Reeves' attorney, Ryan Deaton, and the > prosecutor > > > had reached an agreement in which Reeves would plead guilty in exchange > > for > > > spending six months in jail. However, Coker rejected the plea > agreement, > > > which sent the case to trial, where Reeves ultimately was acquitted. > > > > > > > > > Trinity County > > > > > > Judge Elizabeth E. Coker oversees the 258th district court that covers > > > Polk, San Jacinto and Trinity counties. Coker is accused of the "very > > > unethical" practice of sending text messages from the bench to an > > assistant > > > district attorney to help bolster the prosecution's case during a > trial, > > > according to an investigator's report. Credit: Trinity County > > > > > > But before the jury reached the verdict, Wells' report said Jones, the > > > assistant prosecutor, had passed along a note that contained the > judge's > > > text message to lead prosecutor Beverly Armstrong. > > > > > > The written note, which Wells secured as evidence, appears to pose a > > > question for witnesses: "Judge says baby pooped on (Reeves) - if he > > threw > > > a dog off the bed because the dog peed on bed what would he do if baby > > > pooped on him?" > > > > > > Testimony during the trial showed that after Reeves became angry when a > > > new puppy soiled his bed with urine, he threw the animal against a wall > > or > > > pitched it on the floor. Additional testimony showed Reeves' baby had > > > severe diarrhea the night he was injured. > > > > > > Wells said Armstrong never used that particular question but told him > the > > > judge was regularly interjecting herself into trial proceedings via > text > > > messages. > > > > > > "(Armstrong) advised it was not the first time, as Jones is in her ear > > all > > > the time regarding information she believes to be given her by Judge > > Coker > > > via text during trial," the report said. > > > > > > Wells added that he and the first assistant prosecutor, Joe Martin, > felt > > > such communication was "very unethical." > > > > > > However, Hon, the district attorney, contended Wells' report "was not > > > entirely accurate," indicating Armstrong was unable to substantiate the > > > texting was a regular occurrence. > > > > > > Wells said he stands by his report. Armstrong could not be reached for > > > comment. > > > > > > Jones, the prosecutor who initially received the text, has since been > > > elected 411th state district judge. She declined to be interviewed but > > > issued a brief statement that stressed how the "indirect" communication > > by > > > text had no influence on the outcome of Reeves' trial and promised to > > > cooperate fully with any inquiry. > > > > > > Deaton, Reeves' defense attorney, declined comment except to say he was > > > not aware of the texting until five months after the trial. > > > > > > 'Administrative steps' > > > > > > Laura "Sissy" Prigmore, a Coldspring attorney who has cases in Coker's > > > court, said the district attorney should have hired a special > prosecutor > > to > > > investigate the issue to avoid any appearance of impropriety since his > > > staff was involved. > > > > > > "I believe this judge was texting constantly, something that can't be > > > known without getting the phone records," Prigmore added. "This makes > me > > > sick." > > > > > > Hon said he never asked for a special prosecutor because his internal > > > review could find no criminal offense that had occurred. He added that > he > > > had taken "administrative steps" to prevent future occurrences. He > > declined > > > to elaborate because of the pending judicial probe. > > > > > > Prigmore and others, such as Cleveland attorney Richard Burroughs, > > believe > > > Coker violated rules preventing judges from talking about issues > related > > to > > > a trial without all parties present. > > > > > > "I think it's absolutely shocking," Burroughs said. > > > > > > The judicial commission's executive director, Seana Willing, said > > > confidentiality prevents her from revealing whether there is an ongoing > > > investigation. She said an average probe can take from nine months to a > > > year to complete. > > > > > > On Oct 28, 2013, at 3:26 PM, Larry C. Lyons <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > nice if it didn't have a paywall in front of the article. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:368223 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
