$100K fine against top Texas judge lowered to $25K

AUSTIN, TX -- The Texas Ethics Commission has agreed to reduce a record $100,000 fine it levied against the state's top criminal court judge to $25,000 as part of a settlement with her.

The commission approved the settlement with Judge Sharon Keller on Thursday in a 7-0 vote. It fined her $100,000 in April 2010 after finding that she did not report a total of at least $3.8 million in earnings and property on two annual financial statements. The fine was the largest in the commission's history.

Under the settlement, which was revealed Friday, Keller will pay $25,000 to resolve repeated violations of the section of state law that governs personal financial disclosures for elected officials.

Keller, who has been the presiding judge of the state's highest criminal court since 2000, has said the omissions were unintentional and she has since amended the financial statements. She appealed the commission's fine to a Travis County District Court.

A copy of the settlement and court documents show the deal was hashed out in the last couple of months, the newspaper reported. According to a court filing, the ethics commission asked State District Judge Orlinda Naranjo in late May to take the case to trial. Keller and Jim Clancy, chair of the ethics commission, ended up signing the settlement in late June.

The deal still requires Naranjo's final approval. Keller would have to pay the $25,000 within 30 days after the deal is finalized.

"Judge Keller is very pleased that she was able to reach an agreement with the ethics commission to have the matter resolved and have the case dismissed," Keller's lawyer, Joseph Nixon said.

The $25,000 fine still ranks as one of the highest levied by the commission to date. The largest was a $75,000 fine imposed in 2009 against Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole, followed by a $29,000 fine given to Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht in 2008.

Keller faced removal from the bench in 2010 after refusing an after-hours appeal by a death-row inmate in 2007, but the state Commission on Judicial Conduct issued a "public warning" that later was tossed on appeal.

Take ABC13 with you!
Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices

Get more State »

texas, state

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•