June 01, 2009
Burnam drops impeachment resolution

I had wondered what would happen with Rep. Lon Burnam's resolution to impeach Sharon Keller, given that we were coming down to the wire and there was a lot of pressing business that needed to be taken care of in a very short period of time. Now I know.


Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, today offered a "personal privilege" speech noting that his resolution calling for the impeachment of Court of Criminal Appeals Justice Sharon Keller is going nowhere this session (which ends Monday).

Burnam's resolution has been pending since April 27 in the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee. In his speech today, Burnam said he chose not to try to use the procedure by which he could have tried to get the votes to bring the resolution to the floor despite the lack of committee action.

But he made it clear he still believes Keller should be removed from office for refusing to keep her court clerk's office open on Sept. 25, 2007 to accept a late filing on behalf of Death Row inmate Michael Wayne Richard, who was executed later that day.

[...]

Burnam said if neither state agency causes Keller's removal from office he'll try again in two years if he is re-elected to the House.


Well, I certainly hope that the State Commission on Judicial Conduct has taken some action by then. I know the wheels grind slowly and all, but surely that's not too much to ask. Floor Pass has more.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on June 01, 2009 to Crime and Punishment
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