In Texas, even a judge is not above the law. Recently, a Texas family law judge in Aransas County was placed under a temporary restraining order. The restraining order forbids the judge from visiting his 10-year-old daughter without permission from the daughter’s mother – his ex-wife.
YouTube Video of Beating
The mother had filed the affidavit seeking the restraining order, claiming that their marriage was dysfunctional and the conflict had continued after the divorce. Her decision to get a restraining order was motivated by the fallout from an online video on YouTube in which the judge was seen viciously beating his older daughter. The 2004 video was secretly recorded and posted on the web site by the older daughter.
In the video, the judge is seen beating his then 16-year-old daughter with a belt and ignoring her pleas to stop. The video has caused nationwide controversy and stirred angry reactions from parents. Although the judge has not performed his judicial functions since the video was released, there have been calls for his resignation. No charges have been brought against the judge, but he is currently under investigation by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
In addition to preventing the judge from seeing his daughter, the restraining order prohibits him from criticizing his ex-wife and drinking alcohol within 24 hours of seeing his daughter. Restraining orders are common tools used to protect family members in Texas divorce cases when there are allegations of family violence, and an experienced family law attorney can help guide you through the restraining order process.