Judge on a hot tin roof

Word from courthouse wags down on the Island indicate that embattled Galveston County Court at Law Judge Christopher Dupuy's days behind the bench may be coming to an end. According to sources at the courthouse, Mr. Dupuy was indicted this morning on two felony counts of retaliation, four misdemeanor counts of abuse of official office and two misdemeanor counts of official oppression .

Also on Wednesday a petition seeking the removal of Mr. Dupuy as the presiding judge of County Court at Law No. 3 was filed on behalf of the State of Texas by Galveston County attorney Greg Hughes (Click here for the petition and attached exhibits). A hearing for Mr. Dupuy to show cause why he shouldn't be removed from office will be held on June 7, 2013 in the 10th District Court at 10:30 a.m.

According to the Houston Chronicle:

The petition for removal accuses County Court-at-Law Judge Christopher Dupuy of failing to obey an order from a state appeals court, abusing his authority by retaliating against attorneys and threatening the district clerk while attempting to interfere in Dupuy's own divorce case. 

The lawsuit accuses Dupuy of incompetence and official oppression and asks that he be removed from office while the case is pending. 

"He has ruined dozens of lives over the last two years with ridicules, horrible rulings he has made," said Galveston County attorney Greg Hughes, who filed the petition for removal at 10 a.m. with state District Judge Kerry Neves.

In response to Mr. Hughes' petition, Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady has filed a motion to recuse his office from prosecuting the removal on behalf of the State of Texas due to a conflict of interest. The Texas Attorney General's Office has been appointed to represent the state in the removal action.

The noose around Mr. Dupuy's neck has tightened and I do believe that it's just a matter of time until his days on the bench are over. The voters in Galveston County who pulled the straight ticket lever for the Republicans back in 2010 should be ashamed of themselves for putting this man on the bench.

  Indictments of Judge Christopher Dupuy