Attorney general urges removal of school finance case judge

State attorneys on Friday called for removal of the presiding judge in the long-running Texas school finance case based on e-mails and other alleged improper communications between the judge and lawyers for school districts suing the state. Attorneys for the plaintiff districts, on the other hand, asserted that the communications were proper and that the state is objecting only now to block a final ruling that the funding system is unconstitutional.

The arguments came before state Judge David Peeples of San Antonio, who was assigned to determine whether state District Judge John Dietz (right) should be removed as the judge in the school finance case. Convening the hearing in Dietz’s courtroom in Travis County, Peeples said he would decide later whether to publicly release the e-mails and other communications that have been cited as improper by Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office.

“How can anyone feel confident about the judge’s impartiality?” Assistant Attorney General James Eccles asked in referring to the series of e-mails related to Dietz’s work on his final judgment in the case. “A judge must be recused in any case where his impartiality might be questioned.” Eccles also accused the judge of coaching the school district attorneys.

Houston lawyer Mark Trachtenberg, representing school districts that are challenging the state’s funding system, said the state agreed to “ex parte” communications between the judge and lawyers – a common practice in civil lawsuits. He also said the state had ample opportunities to object to the communications over the past two years but did so only in the weeks before Judge Dietz was expected to issue his final decision.

More at http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/06/attorney-general-urges-removal-of-school-finance-case-judge.html/ .

[font color=green]I'm anxiously awaiting for Greg Abbott to be humiliated again.[/font]