Legal News

Judges Allegedly Behaving Badly: Texas? Donald Jackson

By Ashby Jones

Sometimes, on first blush, it’s hard to know if a particular behavior by a lawyer or judge is unethical. Then there’s what Texas judge Donald Jackson has been accused of: offering a DWI defendant help in getting her case dismissed in exchange for a sexual relationship. Don’t really need a MPRE refresher to know that that crosses an ethical line.

It also may have crossed a criminal line, as well, according to this Houston Chronicle article.

Jackson, a Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law judge, was indicted Thursday on a misdemeanor charge of “official oppression,” for the alleged behavior. According to the indictment, Jackson, 59, offered to get the defendant, a young woman, "a different attorney to get her case dismissed if she would be interested in the defendant and enter into a relationship with him that was more than a one-night stand."

The woman at the center of the controversy, Ariana M. Venegas, got hit with the DWI charge in February. It was unclear from court documents whether the alleged proposition was made in the courtroom, or if Jackson is accused of meeting with Venegas to make the offer. Her lawyer was not available for comment,

If convicted, the 17-year judge could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Jackson’s lawyer said Jackson would plead not guilty at his initial appearance, but he declined to comment further to the Chron on the allegations.

"The district attorney’s office is going to try this case in the courtroom. They’re not going to try it in the press and neither am I," Rawlings said. "I will say this: I have known Don Jackson for 17 years, and he is a friend."

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on August 28, 2009 (boomark / email).