Pressure builds on judge to step down

Well, what do you know, Christopher Dupuy is back in the news.

If you don't know, Mr. Dupuy is the judge in County Court at Law No. 3 in Galveston County. At the time he was running for the bench the State Bar had placed him on probation for violating ethics rules. The seat he ran for was held by the judge in the divorce case filed by his now ex-wife. His platform was a bizarre assortment of right-wing positions that would have made any wingnut proud. He sits on the bench because Galveston County voters in the north end of the county blindly selected the straight ticket option for the Republicans.

SUSPENSIONS On Oct. 9, 2009, Christopher Dupuy [#24003931], 38, of League City, accepted a six-month, fully probated suspension effective Oct. 9, 2009. An evidentiary panel of the District 5 Grievance Committee found that Dupuy’s professional websites contained statements that omitted facts necessary to make the statements considered as a whole not materially misleading. Also, Dupuy’s advertisement in a telephone directory did not conspicuously publish the name of at least one lawyer responsible for the content of such advertisement, and did not disclose the geographic location, by city or town, of Dupuy’s principal office. Dupuy failed to file the telephone directory advertisement with the State Bar Advertising Review Committee.

Dupuy violated Rules 7.02(a)(1) and (a) (2); 7.04(b), (c), and (j); and 7.07(b). He agreed to pay $2,500 in attorney’s fees and costs.

-- Texas Bar Journal, January 2010

If you've ever had the "pleasure" of practicing in Judge Dupuy's court you know what an interesting experience it is. I had a case in which the prosecutor and I submitted an agreed motion for new trial. When I handed him the motion, the judge looked at me and asked what he was supposed to do with it. I told him it was an agreed motion and that he should sign it. He took it under advisement and made up wait for 45 minutes while he went back in his chambers and did God knows what before returning to the bench.

In his latest misadventure, Mr. Dupuy was fined $7,500 by a judge for improperly trying to remove a judge who was hearing a malpractice case against him filed by a former client. The $7,500 fine is in addition to an $1,800 levy ordered against him for failing to appear at a deposition in that case. David Bryant, a Houston attorney handling the suit, told the Houston Chronicle he thought he'd have to attach Mr. Dupuy's bank account in order to get the money.

Dupuy is also under investigation by the Galveston County District Attorney's Office for allegedly lying about his residency on the application he filed to run for the bench.

The situation is so bad that the Galveston Daily News is calling for Dupuy to resign from the bench.

The man is not qualified to sit on the bench. The unethical manner in which he ran his practice. Sleeping with an attorney practicing in his court. Lying on his application to run for office. The unprofessional way in which he conducts business in his courtroom.

The folks in Galveston County who voted straight ticket Republican got exactly what they deserved.

Transcript of DuPuy hearing