I have mixed feelings on this news report. I can't stand it when people are cruel or neglectful to animals, however I also can't stand people in positions of authority who abuse their power. Thought this was an interesting and debatable news story.
____________________________________
(5/23/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Some judges use creative sentencing more than others. But one Harris County judge - Michael Peters - is accused of taking the idea too far and he was publicly reprimanded for it.
The state commission on judicial conduct accuses Judge Peters of failing to uphold the integrity of the judicial system. The commission's ruling stems from two sentences handed down by Judge Peters nearly two years ago -- one for an animal cruelty case, the other for illegal dumping.
A public official charged with upholding the integrity of the law, Judge Michael Peters is accused of discrediting it -- so says the state commission on judicial conduct. The commission reviewed two punishments from two cases Peters presided over. He's a judge for Harris County's criminal county court at law number two.
Back in June 2004, Peters sentenced a woman convicted of severely neglecting two horses to spend 30 days in jail and restricted her diet to bread and water for the first three days.
At the time, Judge Peters told Eyewitness News, "In my opinion, the bread and water order is more than those two horses got over the period of time that they were neglected, according to the facts of the case."
Now, nearly two years later, Judge Peters made a similar statement to us off camera.
"It was an extraordinary case, with an extraordinary facts and circumstances," he said. "I imposed a punishment I felt related to the facts of the case. I thought I was doing something good, imposing what I believed to be the right conditions for the right cases."
KTRK Legal Analyst Joel Androphy said, "We don't have an eye for an eye system of justice."
Androphy says Judge Peters should have known the orders he issued were unenforceable and a violation of state law.
"You draw the line with this book," Androphy explained. "You draw the line with the book that sets the punishment for defendants. And give some latitude. But like anything else, you take too much latitude, you get reigned in."
Judge Peters tell us though he disagrees with the commission's ruling, it has had a "chilling effect on him." He's now alerting many of his colleagues, warning them if they decide to do some creative sentencing, they too could end up in front of an ethics commission.
Link
____________________________________
(5/23/06 - KTRK/HOUSTON) - Some judges use creative sentencing more than others. But one Harris County judge - Michael Peters - is accused of taking the idea too far and he was publicly reprimanded for it.
The state commission on judicial conduct accuses Judge Peters of failing to uphold the integrity of the judicial system. The commission's ruling stems from two sentences handed down by Judge Peters nearly two years ago -- one for an animal cruelty case, the other for illegal dumping.
A public official charged with upholding the integrity of the law, Judge Michael Peters is accused of discrediting it -- so says the state commission on judicial conduct. The commission reviewed two punishments from two cases Peters presided over. He's a judge for Harris County's criminal county court at law number two.
Back in June 2004, Peters sentenced a woman convicted of severely neglecting two horses to spend 30 days in jail and restricted her diet to bread and water for the first three days.
At the time, Judge Peters told Eyewitness News, "In my opinion, the bread and water order is more than those two horses got over the period of time that they were neglected, according to the facts of the case."
Now, nearly two years later, Judge Peters made a similar statement to us off camera.
"It was an extraordinary case, with an extraordinary facts and circumstances," he said. "I imposed a punishment I felt related to the facts of the case. I thought I was doing something good, imposing what I believed to be the right conditions for the right cases."
KTRK Legal Analyst Joel Androphy said, "We don't have an eye for an eye system of justice."
Androphy says Judge Peters should have known the orders he issued were unenforceable and a violation of state law.
"You draw the line with this book," Androphy explained. "You draw the line with the book that sets the punishment for defendants. And give some latitude. But like anything else, you take too much latitude, you get reigned in."
Judge Peters tell us though he disagrees with the commission's ruling, it has had a "chilling effect on him." He's now alerting many of his colleagues, warning them if they decide to do some creative sentencing, they too could end up in front of an ethics commission.
Link
Facebook
Twitter