Impeachment News and Notes

Federal District Judge Samuel Kent out of Galveston showed a lot of chutzpah submitting a resignation letter that doesn't become effective until a full year from now after he was convicted and sentenced to 33 months in prison for engaging in "non-consensual sexual contact with employees." I've not tracked this case closely but this guy is as big a disgrace to his robes as any jurist in the Lone Star State, and that's saying something. Congress may "fast track" Kent's impeachment to avoid the injustice of him drawing an extra year's salary while doing time in prison.

At the state level, Rep. Lon Burnam decided not to bring his resolution to impeach Presiding Judge Sharon Keller of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to the House floor before the Legislature reached Sine Die on Monday. This was likely in deference to the utter meltdown at the end of session and the need to actually (attempt to) accomplish something in the session's closing hours. Burnam had told me a couple of weeks ago he intended to propose impeachment on the floor before session's end. The state Commisson on Judicial Conduct has scheduled a removal hearing to consider allegations against Judge Keller in August.