Hecht Rapped for Publicly Backing Miers
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Janet Elliott
Source: Houston Chronicle
Date: 5/24/2006
Article reports that the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct admonished Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht for his vocal public support of Harriet Miers_ nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Commission found that by granting numerous media interviews and assisting the White House in collecting special interest support for Ms. Miers_ nomination, Justice Hecht violated ethical rules that bar judges from endorsing political candidates and using the prestige of their office to further private interests. Justice Hecht said that he will appeal the ruling, arguing that _[I] believe my statements on matters of national public interest did not offend canons of judicial ethics and were fully protected by the First Amendment as core speech._ An admonition is the least severe of the three public sanctions that the Commission can issue.