Randy Johnston was featured in a recent Houston Chronicle article analyzing the latest legal and ethical questions surrounding the Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen.
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) recently ruled that Sheriff Fullen is unfit to serve, citing a pattern of dishonesty and misconduct. Now, the sheriff’s future is in the hands of a judge whose campaign Fullen previously supported — raising difficult questions about judicial impartiality and public trust in the legal system.
Mr. Johnston explained that the legal bar for disqualification is high, and attorneys are often hesitant to challenge a judge.
“The question for the judge is – wholly apart from whether he can rule fairly in this case – does he believe his relationship with the sheriff would cause the public to question the integrity of the whole system,” Mr. Johnston told the Chron. “And if the answer to that is yes, then you’re doing a disservice to the sheriff and to everyone else by staying on that case.”
Read the full piece here: Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen’s political fate may rest with a judge he once campaigned for