The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct has publicly reprimanded a municipal judge for making sexual remarks directed at children and expressing wishes of sexual violence toward them. The Commission also noted that the judge exhibited racial bias from the bench.
This case is part of a broader pattern of judicial misconduct in Texas. For instance, in July 2024, Judge Jesus “Jesse” Nevarez of Tarrant County was publicly reprimanded for engaging in inappropriate behavior toward female colleagues. The Commission found that Nevarez sent text messages to Judge Lindsay DeVos from December 2021 through June 2022, addressing her with terms such as “babe,” “hon,” and “beautiful.” When DeVos resigned in August 2022, Nevarez referred to her as “baby” during a recorded conversation about her departure and stated that he had “loved DeVos forever.” ([abusivediscretion.com](https://abusivediscretion.com/texas-judge-jesus-jesse-nevarez-publicly-reprimanded-for-sexually-charged-conduct-directed-at-colleagues/?utm_source=openai))
Similarly, in December 2024, Burnet County Judge James Oakley was reprimanded for unprofessional conduct, sexual harassment, and security violations. The Commission’s findings were in response to a complaint made by Burnet County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Lisa Whitehead in 2023. ([dailytrib.com](https://www.dailytrib.com/2024/12/16/oakley-reprimanded-for-unprofessional-conduct-sexual-harassment/?utm_source=openai))
These incidents underscore the ongoing challenges within the Texas judiciary regarding inappropriate conduct and the imperative for maintaining ethical standards to uphold public trust in the legal system.