Tag Archives: Court of Criminal Appeals

Keller testifies

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Day Two of the trial of Judge Sharon Keller had Keller herself testifying. Rapid-fire questions from Austin lawyer Mike McKetta, acting as the prosecution, drilled into the heart of the charges against Keller — that by violating the court’s established … Continue reading →

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The Keller trial, Day One

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

If you want a detailed blow-by-blow description of the trial of Court of Criminal Appeals Justice Sharon Keller, go to the Statesman’s Focal Point blog, which has been liveblogging the procedure. Here are links to various entries: Opening statement by … Continue reading →

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A preview of the Keller case

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Lawyer has an in depth look at some of the facts that are in dispute in the judicial conduct hearing for Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, which begins today. It is, as the story’s headline suggests, … Continue reading →

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Keller goes on the offensive

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’re less than two weeks out from the judicial conduct hearing on Court of Criminal Appeals Chief Justice Sharon Keller, and it’s clear that her defense strategy will be to attack her accusers. Keller, facing potentially career-ending charges that she … Continue reading →

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Keller hearing moved to San Antonio

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

It had been scheduled to be in Austin, but now it’s been moved to San Antonio. State District Judge David Berchelmann Jr., who was chosen by the Texas Supreme Court to preside over Keller’s trial, will use his downtown San … Continue reading →

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How about that CCA’s reputation for fairness?

Posted on June 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is just precious. The longest serving Judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Lawrence “Larry” Meyers, has announced he is seeking re-election in 2010. The Court has been called a national laughingstock by one of its other members … Continue reading →

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Burnam makes his case in the papers

Posted on May 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Lon Burnam writes an op-ed about his resolution to impeach Judge Sharon Keller. Last week, a group of 24 national experts on judicial ethics issued a statement that Judge Keller has consistently demonstrated a lack of impartiality in … Continue reading →

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Followup on Keller impeachment resolution

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I had a brief conversation with Rep. Lon Burnam about HR480, the House resolution to impeach Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, which had a hearing on Monday. He’s working on getting enough support in the House Committee … Continue reading →

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The Keller impeachment resolution

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Lon Burnam’s resolution to impeach Judge Sharon Keller was scheduled to get a hearing Monday. Burnam vowed that it would come to a vote on the House floor. If that resolution does not move in committee, Burnam said he … Continue reading →

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Sanctions sought for deadline-missing attorney

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is a necessary step, but it is not a sufficient one. Texas’ highest criminal court has asked the State Bar of Texas to investigate a San Antonio attorney who missed critical deadlines in four recent death row appeals — … Continue reading →

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House hearing set on Keller impeachment resolution

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars for Monday, April 27, for that’s when HR480, the resolution filed by State Rep. Lon Burnam back in February that called for the House to begin the impeachment process against Judge Sharon Keller, gets a hearing. From … Continue reading →

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Either way, they still get paid

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron returns to the theme of inadequate representation of death row inmates. Texas lawyers have repeatedly missed deadlines for appeals on behalf of more than a dozen death row inmates in the last two years — yet judges continue … Continue reading →

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Keller’s day in court set for August

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Not as soon as I would have liked, since I think this saga has dragged on long enough, but at least we have a date. Mark it in ink: The trial to assess whether Judge Sharon Keller violated her duty … Continue reading →

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TPJ files complaints against Keller

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

To no one’s surprise, in the wake of the Morning News story about Judge Sharon Keller’s lack of financial disclosure as required by law, Texans for Public Justice has filed complaints against her. From their press release (PDF): TPJ’s complaints … Continue reading →

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What else have you not told us, Sharon?

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, Sharon Keller, the Presiding Judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, has asked that the state pick up her legal fees in defense of the charges against her on grounds that paying for her own attorney would … Continue reading →

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You have the right to an attorney, but it doesn’t have to be of your choosing

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In her response to the charges pending against her before the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Sharon Keller made the claim that the state should foot her legal bills. Rick Casey notes the problem with that claim. [We do] provide … Continue reading →

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Keller blames others for her actions

Posted on March 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, who has been formally accused of violating her duty as a judge in the matter of the Michael Richard case, has filed her response to the State Commission on Judicial Ethics. (For … Continue reading →

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NYT on Keller

Posted on March 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This story doesn’t really advance our knowledge of Justice Sharon Keller, but it does provide some insight as to her supporters. At least, it confirms that she has them. How they can reconcile their opinion of her with some of … Continue reading →

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Keller gets an extension

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

News item: Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, now has until March 24 to answer charges that she violated her judicial duties by declining to accept an after-hours appeal from a death row inmate in … Continue reading →

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Hey, you – wanna run for judge?

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The following is an announcement from the Harris County Democratic Party. The Judicial Candidates Committee of the Harris County Democratic Party will begin interviewing prospective candidates for judicial office for the 2010 General Election on March 2. Interviews will be … Continue reading →

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The case against Keller

Posted on February 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Casey reads through the Judicial Conduct Commission case against Court of Criminal Appeals Justice Sharon Keller, and finds that her actions were worse than even I had thought. We already knew that Keller and the other judges were aware … Continue reading →

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Judicial conduct commission moves against Keller

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

About damn time. The state judicial ethics commission has charged Sharon Keller, the presiding judge of the state’s highest criminal court, with violating her duty and bringing discredit upon the judiciary when she declined to allow a death row prisoner … Continue reading →

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Burnam files resolution to impeach Justice Keller

Posted on February 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

State Rep. Lon Burnam (D, Fort Worth) has dropped a little bomb called HR480, the text of which calls for “House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature [to] adopt the following procedures to consider the impeachment of Judge Sharon … Continue reading →

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Innocence

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Falkenberg examines what Circuit Judge Jacques L. Wiener Jr. referred to as “the elephant in the room” in granting a stay of execution to Larry Swearingen. The nation’s highest court hasn’t directly addressed whether a claim of actual innocence … Continue reading →

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Swearingen gets a stay

Posted on January 26, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Thank goodness. Accused killer Larry Swearingen has been granted a second stay of execution. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit handed down the ruling this morning. Swearingen was set to be executed by injection on Tuesday. “We’re … Continue reading →

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