E-mail bulletin for November 15, 2005
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NEWS RELEASE
THIRD JUDGE RESIGNS FROM TEXAS CASA BOARD
Earlier today Texas Center for Family Rights (TCFR) issued a news release that two Houston area judges had resigned from the Board of Texas CASA.
Today, Judge Carl E. Lewis, County Law #5 in Nueces County, became the third judge out of seven on the board to resign. He joins Judge Eva Guzman and Judge Olen Underwood in their similar decisions.
The resignations have followed a June decision by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct regarding a complaint that TCFR filed in 2004 on Judge Sage of the 307th District Court in Gregg County. The Commission’s response stated, "judges who preside over cases in which CASA volunteers appear before them and testify should not serve on the Board of Directors of such organization since such service raises an appearance of impropriety and reasonably calls into question the judge’s ability to act impartially in such cases…
The Commission sent a letter to TCFR dated June 21, 2005 regarding Judge Sage. Presumably Judge Sage was informed before or at the same time. TCFR waited until mid- September to see how Judge Sage, Texas CASA and other judges would respond. On September 13, 2005 TCFR sent a letter to all seven judges and Megan Ferland, Chief Executive Officer of Texas CASA to find out how they were responding to the Commission’s decision.
TCFR does not know if Judge Sage informed Texas CASA prior to that time but it appears that Texas CASA had not informed the other judges on their board before TCFR’s September 13th letter. At least one of the three judges who responded to TCFR stated our letter was the first she heard of the Commission’s decision.
Texas CASA CEO Megan Ferland has not responded to attempts in 2004 or 2005 by TCFR to personally discuss the problem with her.
President of TCFR, Peter Johnston, can be reached this evening for comment at 281-633-1152
or tomorrow in the office at 281-344-8878
