Was Justice Hecht's Support of Harriet Mier's Kosher?
Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht appeared in court yesterday to fight allegations that that he violated ethics rules when he gave robust support last year to the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers The Commission on Judicial Conduct issued an ethics rebuke to Hecht in May, ruling that he improperly used his position when he told White House staff members to send him media inquiries about Miers and then discussed her qualifications in dozens of interviews. (The two dated, Justice Hecht told the WSJ last year, remain close friends and still attend the same church.) The commission’s lawyer accused Hecht of going “on a specific mission, a campaign, in connection with certain parties in the White House and their operatives.” Hecht said he conducted interviews because reporters were interested in his three-decade friendship with Miers, not because of his seat on the Texas Supreme Court.
Hecht has been accused of violating two canons of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct:
“A judge shall not lend the prestige of judicial office to advance the private interests of the judge or others.”
“A judge . . . shall not authorize the public use of his or her name endorsing another candidate for any public office.”
The hearing concludes today, and the panel of three Texas appeals-court judges has 60 days to render an opinion.
http://blogs.wsj.com/law/?mod=home_law_left
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/23hecht.html
1 comment:
That's what friends are for. Look Judges are people too. The good ones try to keep the job and friends separate but others use the backroom of the record. Now with the support of the corrupt White House some Judges feel it safe to push ahead with what they know is wrong. Look people this Texas Judge feels if he helps a Bush friend maybe he could be the next Judge Bush nominates to the Supreme Court. One favor get you a favor ask Holy Joe ( Republican) that kiss sealed the deal.
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