(September 9, 2008) - A Texas judicial commission is questioning the professional competence of a Central Texas Municipal Judge following a disputed court proceeding.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued the Public Admonition and Order of Additional Education against Marlin Municipal Court Judge Lynda Lawless this summer.
In its ruling, The Commission writes, "the Commission concludes based on the facts and evidence before it that Judge Lawless failed to comply with the law and demonstrated a fundamental lack of professional competence in the law."
The ruling lays out seven instances where it found Lawless violated canons of Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.
Including:
A. Conducting proceedings without a prosecutor
B. Conducting proceedings over the telephone and without a prosecutor
C. Discussing the merits of cases with complaining witnesses outside the presence of the defendant and/or a prosecutor
D. Issuing capias pro fine warrants without a judgment against the defendant
E. Coercing the defendant to pay all fines instanter with the threat of arrest and jail for entering a plea of not guilty.
F. Failing to announce or render her judgments in open court
G. Failing to reduce her judgments to writing.
The Commission ordered Judge Lawless to obtain four hours of instruction in the areas of appearance bonds, warrants, class C misdemeanor pre-trial and trial procedures, and record keeping.
Lawless told News 10 on Tuesday night she accepts The Commission's findings, but insists all of this isn't totally her fault.
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