We’ve been following the melodrama surrounding Sharon Keller, Chief Justice of Texas’ highest criminal court since allegations that her acts caused the execution of Michael Richard to go forward back in 2007. For background, here are some of our posts giving the details on this horrifiic story:

Sept 2009 – Texas’ Chief Justice Keller’s Trial – Shocking Report from FactFinder

August 2009 – In Texas Justice Keller’s Trial, What if the US Supreme Court had ruled the other way?

April 2009 – Texas Chief Justice Sharon Keller’s Lesson to Us All About Due Process

Well, yesterday was the deadline for the Examiner (read that, "prosecutor") to file objections to the fact findings that a state district judge (Judge David Berchelmann of San Antonio) issued recently after a week long trial in August.  That judge simply didn’t find that she did anything that bad – that the public ridicule of Justice Keller was more than enough punishment. 

Lots of folk (including us) were SHOCKED at this response.  Now, thankfully, a clear and solid voice has come forth in the public record, as the Examiner files its case before the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct (which has the power to remove her from the bench). The entire filing is important reading, and we’re hopeful that you’ll take the time to go through the 38 pages that explains everything so well. 

And to be fair, Justice Keller has filed her formal response to this filing, and you might want to read that, too.  It’s the right thing to do, something that you’ll recall wasn’t allowed to Michael Richard on that fateful day he died at the hands of the State of Texas.