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Texas judge busted for drunk driving pleads for special treatment

Canadan said:
I'll always remember the instructor from my driving school talking about people who get dehydrated a bit playing sports in the sun, have a single beer, and end up being a bit more intoxicated than usual because of it. Were this story closer to that, and less about 5 beers and speeding, I suppose I'd offer a small amount of sympathy -- But all I read here is someone who dishes out the law every day being completely stupid and paying for it dearly.
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I know what you mean, I still just think when in doubt just avoid driving all together. I wasnt going to share this story but I have a close family friend in her 50s who's just an all around fantastic woman. Sweetest person you'll ever meet, never would dream of breaking any laws but one night had 2 glasses of wine at dinner and decided to drive home. That little mistake resulted in jail time as the state she lives it's mandatory. Now like you mentioned I feel bad and want to be sympathetic but I can't help but be like "why even risk it". Know what I mean? Especially in that position of judge. I just feel bad for the family's that lose loved ones because someone is driving drunk. Could be an innocent mistake but deadly none the less.
 
Evok said:
I know what you mean, I still just think when in doubt just avoid driving all together. I wasnt going to share this story but I have a close family friend in her 50s who's just an all around fantastic woman. Sweetest person you'll ever meet, never would dream of breaking any laws but one night had 2 glasses of wine at dinner and decided to drive home. That little mistake resulted in jail time as the state she lives it's mandatory. Now like you mentioned I feel bad and want to be sympathetic but I can't help but be like "why even risk it". Know what I mean? Especially in that position of judge. I just feel bad for the family's that lose loved ones because someone is driving drunk. Could be an innocent mistake but deadly none the less.
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I understand that mistakes happen. .08 isn't as drunk as people may think. She should lose her position regardless. The shameful part of this story is her begging and playing a version of the "don't you know who I am" card.
 
blugold said:
I understand that mistakes happen. .08 isn't as drunk as people may think. She should lose her position regardless. The shameful part of this story is her begging and playing a version of the "don't you know who I am" card.
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Yeah the sense of entitlement is ridiculous I'll agree.
 
deuce said:
Uh, by 0.07% BAC driving skills are significantly impaired, and that is for someone who weighs 240#.
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But .07 isn't legally drunk. .08 is. In Wisconsin at least.
 
deuce said:
Exactly. But you said that 0.08% isn't "as drunk as people think".
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It doesn't take many drinks to get to .08. That's my point.
 
Canadan said:
I have a solution for this catastrophic news.

Spoiler
One and done. Or less. *mind blown*
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I don't disagree with you. Fwiw. My point I that too many people have no idea how much is too actually too much. And most times. People have too much.

I'm not sure what's being lost in translation here.
 
I didn't read the article. I find it generally disgusting that the judge would ask for any kind do special treatment. A hallmark of the entire system is that justice should be blind - I mean, the lady holding the scales is blindfolded. Also, she should lose her job, not because there's some sort of moral imperative, but because this offense brings her objectivity into question. Would anyone really want to be the next person to stand in front of her for a DUI trial or sentencing hearing? Any sentence she gives will be deemed too soft or too harsh because of her own recent conviction. On that alone, she has to go.
 
OK first let me say this, a traffic infraction while it is a kinda sorta crime the police officer has the power of discretion as to weather or not to write you a summons, if the cop lets someone go that they personally felt was driving while impaired and said person crashes and kills someone you could bet at the very least the cop will loose their job and probably face criminal charges. As far as guys saying she's acting like she's entitled your right as long as you say the same thing about EVERYONE else that gets locked up. I have arrested hundreds of people and I'd say more than 3/4's of them begged and pleaded as to why they couldn't go to jail. She's nothing special in regards to her begging and pleading, she's human and a human who knows her life just took a turn for a long bumpy road. As far as the .08 goes, thats a federal thing and I believe all states now use that because if they don't they don't get federal money for certain things. But like Bluegold said it doesn't take much to get there but in all honesty if your there it has been proven your reflexes are impaired enough to make you a danger on the road. The bottom line is EVERYONE and this point knows driving while intoxicated is wrong and if you get caught for it you have no one to blame but yourself and this judge who needs to use the best "JUDGEMENT" possible for a living might not be the best person for her job.
 
Nate said:
Well, the guy got exactly what he wanted, a law enforcement official to come out and approach him while he was filming. Not hard to accomplish with what he was doing.

I grew up in Williamson County actually and the local law enforcements were known for being hard on criminals. You did not want to get pulled over in Williamson County. It was unfortunate what happened with the Ken Anderson situation. With all the corrupt officials we've had in the US accused of crimes while serving the state this was the first prosecutor that actually did jail time for their actions. It is not common for prosecutors to do jail time when they are found guilty of something while working a case. But to think this just happens in the Texas judicial system is a bit naive. I'm not saying our system is perfect but to single out one case and say we have issues across the board is a bit of a stretch.
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I'm not bashing Texas judges. I just wanted a reason to post that video. Here in Iowa, we just start allowing attorney advertising, and so when I heard about Adam Reposa, I just find his videos funny, because we could NEVER get away with such videos in Iowa. You want to fix some of the judge problems (none that are relevant here), stop electing your judges. But that is a whole other conversation for another day. Many, many law review articles have been written on that subject.

As to others who are calling for her to resign or be fired, chillax. Yes, what she did was bad, but it simply is not worthy of asking her to be removed from her position. I don't know how Texas deals with ethics and attorney/judges, but here in Iowa, we are pretty strict with our rules, and most attorneys or judges who manage to get a DUI First get a small suspension. Multiple convictions is another story.

Or you could take Vegas. In Vegas, attorneys can do coke.....and their clients, and the ethics board probably won't even address it, unless you start borrowing money from the trust account. Every state is different.

But to remove a judge for a single DUI, no. Reprimand her, sure, but total removal from her position exceeds what would happen to the average attorney in the same situation.

Trust me, I know these things. I'm a lawyer.

~Rock
 
jitzy said:
She's nothing special in regards to her begging and pleading, she's human and a human who knows her life just took a turn for a long bumpy road. As far as the . The bottom line is EVERYONE and this point knows driving while intoxicated is wrong and if you get caught for it you have no one to blame but yourself and this judge who needs to use the best "JUDGEMENT" possible for a living might not be the best person for her job.
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This was my whole point actually. She crossed that "line."
On another note, which hasn't been discussed yet lol, I wonder if the officer who wrote her the ticket has still got his eye behind a radar gun? :confused2:
 
McRock said:
Yes, what she did was bad, but it simply is not worthy of asking her to be removed from her position.
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Why? Because she's "above the law?" oh Ok, gotchya!
Alright, let's let her keep her job, BUT, let's have her do the jail-time, pay the fines, and have HER insurance rates hit the ceiling like MINE would.
I doubt very highly, that any of the above, including her insurance rates rising, will ever be glanced at or upon.
I seriously doubt that she had to even appear before another Judge herself! And if she did? It was only because of media pressure!

McRock said:
total removal from her position exceeds what would happen to the average attorney in the same situation.

Trust me, I know these things. I'm a lawyer.

~Rock
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But she's not an attorney, she's a Judge .. perhaps an attorney at one time, and knows the law to the n'th degree, among the many, many others.
And if she had me before her court, she'd be throwing everything that she could at me, and do her best, to the letter of the law, to assure that I was made an example of.
Pathetic how a Judge would try to "grovel" her way out of a citation! Call me next time! I'll pick you up in my cab ..
But all you'll do is argue with me that I'm going the wrong way while you slobber all over yourself, and when we get there, you won't be able to pay with anything but plastic,
because you used all of your cash to drink yourself into an emotional, co-dependent, crying little 4 year-old, that is so drunk, you can't even control your own bodily functions!

Yeah, I want you presiding over my next court case .. Judge! And I'm sure that when you said to trust you because of the fact that you're a lawyer,
was tongue in cheek, because that was pretty funny!
 
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Wowzers CS. That's pretty intense broski.
 
Some people are acting like she's drunk while presiding over cases, which there is no evidence of.

She made a stupid mistake while intoxicated, asking for her job is excessive and not necessary.
 
Chip Star said:
Why? Because she's "above the law?" oh Ok, gotchya!
Alright, let's let her keep her job, BUT, let's have her do the jail-time, pay the fines, and have HER insurance rates hit the ceiling like MINE would.
I doubt very highly, that any of the above, including her insurance rates rising, will ever be glanced at or upon.
I seriously doubt that she had to even appear before another Judge herself! And if she did? It was only because of media pressure!


But she's not an attorney, she's a Judge .. perhaps an attorney at one time, and knows the law to the n'th degree, among the many, many others.
And if she had me before her court, she'd be throwing everything that she could at me, and do her best, to the letter of the law, to assure that I was made an example of.
Pathetic how a Judge would try to "grovel" her way out of a citation! Call me next time! I'll pick you up in my cab ..
But all you'll do is argue with me that I'm going the wrong way while you slobber all over your-self, and when we get there, you won't be able to pay with anything but plastic,
because you used all of your cash to drink yourself into an emotional, co-dependent, crying little 4 year-old, that is so drunk, you can't even control your own bodily functions!

Yeah, I want you presiding over my next court case .. Judge! And I'm sure that when you said to trust you because of the fact that you're a lawyer
was tongue in cheek, because, that was pretty funny!
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Technically, she's an attorney. She happens to be a judge, but all judges are attorneys, they just don't practice or advocate for clients.

If the cop wrote the ticket, and arrested her, then she at least saw a magistrate. I'm not familiar enough with Texas procedure to know if she'd have to appear in front of a judge ever. In Iowa, she would not, she could do a written plea.

The case won't go away just because she's a judge. Judges don't all huddle around in a dark room playing poker, dismissing cases against themselves.

Whether her insurance rates go up or not is up to her insurance company, not the courts, unless Texas requires SR-22 insurance following an OWI.

Again, not a texas lawyer, but she will likely be paying her fine and serving any minimum jail sentence (less time served when she was first arrested). I don't know what you think happens in the criminal law world, but regular people aren't 'made examples' of as you assert. Regular people, just like you and me, would receive the same 'minimums' plea deal in an OWI first just like everyone else, unless there were circumstances warranting a 'higher' sentence and fine. Truthfully, it's entirely possible she'd receive a stiffer sentence due to her position, rather than a reduced sentence due to her position.

She's a human being, capable of making mistakes, just like the rest of us.

~Rock
 
Mulligan9111 said:
Some people are acting like she's drunk while presiding over cases, which there is no evidence of.

She made a stupid mistake while intoxicated, asking for her job is excessive and not necessary.
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in my old job a DWI conviction was an automatic termination. I was a police officer, do I think it's harsh? Not really, as a police officer I took an OATH to uphold the law as did she and she broke that oath.
 
Will be interesting to see what kind of cases she gets if she retains her position. Anyone speeding and over the legal limit could simply ask her for the same treatment she received.
 
McRock said:
Technically, she's an attorney. She happens to be a judge, but all judges are attorneys, they just don't practice or advocate for clients.

If the cop wrote the ticket, and arrested her, then she at least saw a magistrate. I'm not familiar enough with Texas procedure to know if she'd have to appear in front of a judge ever. In Iowa, she would not, she could do a written plea.

The case won't go away just because she's a judge. Judges don't all huddle around in a dark room playing poker, dismissing cases against themselves.

Whether her insurance rates go up or not is up to her insurance company, not the courts, unless Texas requires SR-22 insurance following an OWI.

Again, not a texas lawyer, but she will likely be paying her fine and serving any minimum jail sentence (less time served when she was first arrested). I don't know what you think happens in the criminal law world, but regular people aren't 'made examples' of as you assert. Regular people, just like you and me, would receive the same 'minimums' plea deal in an OWI first just like everyone else, unless there were circumstances warranting a 'higher' sentence and fine. Truthfully, it's entirely possible she'd receive a stiffer sentence due to her position, rather than a reduced sentence due to her position.

She's a human being, capable of making mistakes, just like the rest of us.

~Rock
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Smart lawyers are smart.
 
McRock said:
Whether her insurance rates go up or not is up to her insurance company, not the courts, unless Texas requires SR-22 insurance following an OWI.
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I'm sure the equivalent of an SR-22, or something of the nature is required. My point being council, was that her insurance provider will (highly undoubtedly) ever see it!
And even if an SR-22 or it's equivalent is required, who better to be atleast able to afford it? Yes! She's a marked individual in my cross-hairs!
And Hawk said I was "intense"? lol, yeah, I'm trying to watch golf and ... McElroy is .. oiii!

McRock said:
Truthfully, it's entirely possible she'd receive a stiffer sentence due to her position, rather than a reduced sentence due to her position.

She's a human being, capable of making mistakes, just like the rest of us.

~Rock
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She's a Judge! She was chosen to be a Judge because of the fact that she is educated better than the rest of us, or her peers at the time that she was chosen as a Judge!
Not to only know right from wrong, but to also make decisions that change peoples lives. Should she be held to higher standards or "stiffer" penalties as you suggest?
F'n A right she should be! "intense?" lol .. noooo. I so much as get a DUI while on my off-time as a cab driver .. and ohhhh booyyy, not only do I lose my job,
but I'd have to attend classes at the TA, the city and county DMV (or online) pay a fine, and .. and .. a Judge gets to keep her job? Oh, that's right, there's this thing,
this thing called written laws. She may have appeared before a magistrate and may have had to sleep it off in a cell, but I'd be surprised if she wasn't given preferential treatment.
As she should have been .. afterall lol, she's a Judge, she might have been thrown into a cell with a cat that she sentenced just a day ago! YIKES!

Would you rather ride in a cab with a sober and straight driver, or would you be comfortable knowing that driver just got in a few hours ago from a drunken stupor and, you're his first ride?
Would you rather be before a Judge that upheld the law, and gave "leniency" to those first-time offenders and was a great person, etc ..etc ..
only to have that same person who took oaths, that pounds down the laws with gavels in our very own courts .. break those laws themselves?
And to break the law so blatantly as to drive drunk, where (other) lives were at risk while representing "the people"..? When she coulda called a cab? (Choices)
Absolutely yes. She loses that "job." A "human mistake?"
Yeah .. you bet your a$$ it was lol .. I'm ole military, when we were held accountable and responsible. And people would hold themselves accountable and responsible.
Not "grovel" and "whine" while being arrested, or disciplined for something we knew that we did wrong.

It's what I like about golf. I LOVE about golf .. we asses a penalty on ourselves for stupid sh!t that we do. We (try atleast) to abide by these "rules."
Oh wait, Tiger got away with a .. a uhh, .. oh what the heck, even he knows he shoulda withdrawn from the Masters after signing the wrong # on his card.

Oh yeah, that's right .. golf! back to The Open ..
 
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stevie-a said:
Since you want to be a d-bag about it, I figured I'd prove you wrong again. A traffic infraction is a form of crime. I won't bother posting any links that prove this, I'll let you go check for yourself. Yep, I won again! Yeah me!

As for the judge, I never justified or supported her attempt to receive leniency for her actions. I only said that I could see her presiding over other trials like property law, etc. I'm done here, save the keystrokes.
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It's semantics, really. Although traffic code is often recorded as Vehicle and Traffic Law, the penalty for violation falls short of a crime (as defined: misdemeanor or felony.) Therefore, the violation of typical traffic law only amounts to the level of the penalty, therefore not a crime.

In the example you gave, doing 70 in a 30, it is no longer considered speeding at all, it is simply the crime of Reckless Driving. At the discretion of the officer, that's an arrest.
 
Chip Star said:
I'm sure the equivalent of an SR-22, or something of the nature is required. My point being council, was that her insurance provider will (highly undoubtedly) ever see it!
And even if an SR-22 or it's equivalent is required, who better to be atleast able to afford it? Yes! She's a marked individual in my cross-hairs!
And Hawk said I was "intense"? lol, yeah, I'm trying to watch golf and ... McElroy is .. oiii!


She's a Judge! She was chosen to be a Judge because of the fact that she is educated better than the rest of us, or her peers at the time that she was chosen as a Judge!
Not to only know right from wrong, but to also make decisions that change peoples lives. Should she be held to higher standards or "stiffer" penalties as you suggest?
F'n A right she should be! "intense?" lol .. noooo. I so much as get a DUI while on my off-time as a cab driver .. and ohhhh booyyy, not only do I lose my job,
but I'd have to attend classes at the TA, the city and county DMV (or online) pay a fine, and .. and .. a Judge gets to keep her job? Oh, that's right, there's this thing,
this thing called written laws. She may have appeared before a magistrate and may have had to sleep it off in a cell, but I'd be surprised if she wasn't given preferential treatment.
As she should have been .. afterall lol, she's a Judge, she might have been thrown into a cell with a cat that she sentenced just a day ago! YIKES!

Would you rather ride in a cab with a sober and straight driver, or would you be comfortable knowing that driver just got in a few hours ago from a drunken stupor and, you're his first ride?
Would you rather be before a Judge that upheld the law, and gave "leniency" to those first-time offenders and was a great person, etc ..etc ..
only to have that same person who took oaths, that pounds down the laws with gavels in our very own courts .. break those laws themselves?
And to break the law so blatantly as to drive drunk, where (other) lives were at risk while representing "the people"..? When she coulda called a cab? (Choices)
Absolutely yes. She loses that "job." A "human mistake?"
Yeah .. you bet your a$$ it was lol .. I'm ole military, when we were held accountable and responsible. And people would hold themselves accountable and responsible.
Not "grovel" and "whine" while being arrested, or disciplined for something we knew that we did wrong.

It's what I like about golf. I LOVE about golf .. we asses a penalty on ourselves for stupid sh!t that we do. We (try atleast) to abide by these "rules."
Oh wait, Tiger got away with a .. a uhh, .. oh what the heck, even he knows he shoulda withdrawn from the Masters after signing the wrong # on his card.

Oh yeah, that's right .. golf! back to The Open ..
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You can rest easy now.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-arrested-for-dui-youre-going-to-ruin-my-life/

She was arrested. So unless police set bonds (which would be strange), she saw a magistrate.

Since she was charged, her insurance sees the charge. Insurance and DOT dont care if shes acquitted or gets a defferred judgment. In Iowa, a person may get a deferred judgment for OWI first, but DOT will still take their license. As I recall, she refused a breathalyzer, which is automatic license suspension in Iowa.

As near as I can tell, shes receiving the same treatment as anyone else. Her bond seemed high, but that may be normal for texas. As for her job, thats between her, the voters, and the Texas Attorney Disciplinary Board.

~Rock
 
McRock said:
You can rest easy now.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-arrested-for-dui-youre-going-to-ruin-my-life/

She was arrested. So unless police set bonds (which would be strange), she saw a magistrate.

Since she was charged, her insurance sees the charge. Insurance and DOT dont care if shes acquitted or gets a defferred judgment. In Iowa, a person may get a deferred judgment for OWI first, but DOT will still take their license. As I recall, she refused a breathalyzer, which is automatic license suspension in Iowa.

As near as I can tell, shes receiving the same treatment as anyone else. Her bond seemed high, but that may be normal for texas. As for her job, thats between her, the voters, and the Texas Attorney Disciplinary Board.

~Rock
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Bravo! lol .. made my day! No seriously, great find! :thumb:
But 2k for bond? (did I read that right?) 2k for a Judge .. pphht ..
 
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