Bad laws, Bad decisions, Bad judges, Bad ethics,
In dysfunctional Court Systems across the country, complaints are heard about judges, prosecutors who are incompetent, law enforcement agencies that abuse their power, and government that rules by selective intimidation under the guise of the "laws".
These bad judges terrorize courtrooms, the bad Prosecutors abuse their Office by Prosecutorial Abuse, and the bad Law Enforcement Agencies that are intoxicated with their powers. All impair the functioning of the legal system and undermine public confidence in the law.
The disease of our legal system is defined by me as the Arrogance of the Law and it's completely out of control.
We hear about it every day, some of us have/are experiencing it, and most of all, victims or their families seeking justice are often re-victimized by the denial within the legal system of their rights to due process under the law.
There was an article that I saw today which illustrates very clearly how broken the justice system in America is today.
As it turns out this was an old story first reported in late October, 2013 and I just got wind of it this morning.
Below I have created a timeline summarizing the main points of this story as it continue to the present:
October 21, 2013:
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State District Judge Elizabeth E. Coker who sits on the
bench over Trinity, Polk and San Jacinto counties
has resigned under fire in a texting controversy,
according to a voluntary agreement with the
It stems from complaints and media stories alleging
that Coker "had engaged in improper ex parte text
communications with Polk County Assistant District
Attorney Kaycee Jones while Judge Coker presided"
over a criminal trial in August of 2012.
With those complaints, "the commission commenced
an investigation into allegations that Judge Coker
used Assistant District Attorney Jones to privately
communicate information" about the case
"to suggest questions for the prosecutor to ask
during the trial" among other issues.
The commission noted that she “allegedly exhibited a bias
in favor of certain attorneys and a prejudice against others
in both her judicial rulings and her court appointments.”
Investigators also expressed concerns that Coker
“discussed the Commission’s investigation and [her]
written responses to the investigation with a material witness
prior to that witness’ testimony before the Commission
in an apparent attempt to influence that witness,
that the judge may not have been candid and truthful in her
testimony before the Commission when questioned
about her contact with the witness.”
The agreement also said the commission looked into
other complaints that Coker allegedy engaged in other
improper communications and meetings with Jones,
other members of the Polk County prosecutor's office,
the San Jacinto County District Attorney and certain
defense attorneys.
The agreement goes on to say "the parties agree that
the allegations of judicial misconduct, if found to be true,
could result in disciplinary action against Judge Coker."
As a result, the parties sought to resolve the matter
"without the time and expense of further disciplinary
proceedings."
Coker did not admit any guilt or fault.
Her resignation will take effect Dec. 6 but she will take
a voluntary leave of absence until that time and not perform
any official duties. Under the agreement, she will be
disqualified from sitting or serving as a judge in Texas.
Coker, 46, has been a Judge for 14 years and is the third
generation in her family to serve on an East Texas bench.
Her father and grandfather also served
December 8, 2013:
Elizabeth Coker's resignation became effective Dec. 6.
Amazingly clueless, without any sense of shame, completely
unfazed by her previous unfit behavior, she publicly,
vomitatiously announced two days later on December 8, a campaign to become the district attorney of Polk County.
“The support and encouragement I am receiving has been
overwhelming and humbling.
I want to thank all my family, friends and supporters
who still want me as a public servant.”
Coker’s announcement on PolkCountyToday.com said
that she had “seen first hand the need for improvement
in the District Attorney’s office:
A better working relationship with all the law enforcement agencies in our great county; better communication with witnesses and victims; utilizing assistant prosecutors and staff to their fullest extent; training the newest prosecutors and taking a proactive approach to managing the office while being mindful of taxpayers’ money.” March 5, 2014:
Former Polk County Judge Elizabeth Coker, who resigned
last year after admitting she texted prosecutors during a trial,
lost her bid Tuesday to unseat incumbent District Attorney Lee Hon.
"I can't say to what extent that controversy contributed
to that outcome," said Hon, who got almost 4,000 votes
and Coker got about 2,000.
In a recently obtained letter by television station KPRC
it was discovered that Former Polk County Prosecutor,
Kaycee L. Jones, now a Polk County District Court Judge,
has admitted in writing to the Texas State Bar that she
acted improperly while serving as an Assistant District Attorney.
A copy of the April 29, 2013 letter was signed by the same
Kaycee L. Jones, 411th Judicial District Judge.
The admission specifically details a series of text messages
Jones received from Elizabeth Coker, Judicial District Judge,
while Coker was on the bench during a trial.
Judges are not supposed to transmit secret information to either the prosecution or the defense during a trial. Part of the letter signed by Jones reads: "On August 8, 2012, I did receive a text message from Judge Coker that suggested a line of questioning in an Injury to a Child trial over which she was presiding and telling me to tell the trial prosecutor. I was not the trial prosecutor and had nothing to do with the investigation or prosecution of the case, but I was present in the courtroom for portions of the trial as an observer. When I received the text, I hand wrote the text verbatim and asked our investigator to deliver it to the prosecutor who was trying the case... I deeply regret that I acted in this manner.
March 28, 2015
Practicing Law today as a licensed Lawyer-Former Judge Elizabeth E. Coker: FIND A LAWYERMs. Elizabeth Evelyn Coker
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