Judicial commission recommends suspension for misdemeanor judge

Bynum was not within the courtroom Friday due to bereavement depart. His legal professional within the matter, Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, took exception to the judicial fee’s resolution. 

“We predict that the advice that he be suspended is absurd — and we’ll vigorously struggle it,” she stated. 

The advice comes almost three months after the fee, a panel of judges who examine judicial complaints,  questioned him about nearly two dozen accusations during a public Zoom call full of prosecutors and different felony justice stakeholders. Bynum, a self-described socialist, requested that the typically-private listening to be public.

Dialogue a couple of photograph of Bynum carrying a “Defund the Police” shirt that he at one level tweeted dominated a portion of the assembly, fairly than Bynum’s court docket procedures at query. The photograph was referenced once more because the final of twenty-two allegations towards him within the discover of formal proceedings, additionally filed with the state’s highest court docket.

One of many allegations took exception to feedback that Bynum made in The Nation journal in 2019 that he hoped “to contribute to the ‘demolition’ of the felony justice system because it at present exists.”

One other declare took exception Bynum’s resolution to seek out “no possible trigger” in some felony circumstances, together with people who concerned home violence. 

Bynum  faces three fees: bias towards the state, failure to adjust to the legislation and affordable doubt concerning judicial impartiality. The costs deal with his alleged remedy of prosecutors and “failures to take care of skilled competence with respect to these legal guidelines in a way persistently favoring defendants and protection attorneys,” the eight-page discover reads. 

Hochglaube informed commissioners in April that the complaints towards Bynum ought to be dismissed or a call made to permit him end his time period, which ends in December.

In an announcement, district legal professional’s workplace spokesman John Donnelly expressed confidence within the court docket’s decision-making. 

“Judges swear an oath to uphold the legislation and attempt for impartiality,” Donnelly stated Friday. “The felony justice system works provided that they adhere to their oath. We belief the Texas Supreme Courtroom will take applicable motion.” 

The fee’s discover states that Bynum can file a written reply to the fees inside 15 days of the formal proceedings discover, filed Wednesday. In accordance with the fee’s web site, the judicial panel lacks the authority to take away a choose — solely a evaluate tribunal can and that panel consists of appellate judges.

Bynum was elected as a misdemeanor court docket choose in 2018 as a part of a Democratic sweep. He ran on a platform of ending the money bail system. After his election to the bench, Bynum turned a defendant within the federal case and helped to settle Harris County’s historic misdemeanor bail reform go well with that ordered an finish to some poor defendants being jailed on low-level fees. Bynum misplaced to Harris County prosecutor Erika Ramirez earlier this yr for the social gathering’s nomination.

A Dallas choose was final to face related suspension proceedings following allegations in 2016 from fellow justices that he was unfit to serve on the fifth Courtroom of Appeals bench. He resigned in lieu of the proceedings, in keeping with the fee’s web site. 

Bynum has stated that he wouldn’t voluntarily resign in lieu of disciplinary actions.

nicole.hensley@chron.com