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Judge Watch: Houston Judge Donald Jackson in Big Trouble – Suspended AND Indicted

While they are waiting for Judge Berchelmann’s findings in the Justice Keller matter, the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct isn’t taking a holiday … yesterday they suspended a Houston judge, with pay….

Houston Criminal County Court at Law Judge Donald Jackson Suspended with Pay, Already Under Indictment

The Judicial Commission has stopped Judge Jackson from taking the bench, but he’s still able to get his $140,000/year salary.  Meanwhile, the Houston Grand Jury has already heard evidence and an indictment has been issued against 59 year old Judge Donald Jackson, for the misdemeanor charge of official oppression. 

If he’s found guilty, Judge Jackson faces up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.  And, assumedly, the Commission might stop his salary at that point. 

What Did Judge Jackson Allegedly Do?

According to the Indictment, last February this criminal judge had before him a drunk driving case with a young, female defendant.  Allegedly, the judge “… offered to get the complainant a different attorney to get her case dismissed if she would be interested in the defendant [that’s the judge, he’s a “defendant” in the indictment language] and enter into a relationship with him that was more than a one night stand.” 

There’s more to the story, of course.  The Indictment also alleges that Judge Jackson made “unwelcome sexual advances,” as well as a “request for sexual favors, ” and engaged in “verbal conduct of a sexual nature.”

Are we asking too much to think that Judges should know better?

County Court at Law Judge Donald Jackson has presided over Harris County Court at Law No. 3 for SEVENTEEN years.  And, last February when all this purportedly took place, we had federal judge Samuel Kent facing his own sexual misconduct charges with the continuation of his January trial being all over the Houston media, much less the rest of the country.  

Did Judge Jackson not read the papers?  Did he never hear of avoiding even the “appearance of impropriety”?  Why was he even talking with a drunk driving defendant?  What’s going on here with the Houston-area judiciary? 

Kent’s serving time, let’s see what happens to Jackson as his case proceeds….

As we all know, Kent ended up circumventing a full trial and he’s serving time now.  We’ll see what happens to Judge Jackson.  Maybe he’s innocent.


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