Appeals court judge absent since September 2014, still collects $160K
DALLAS —The absence of Appeals Court Justice David Lewis has been the worst-kept secret in Dallas legal circles for months.
Records obtained by WFAA show the Republican justice hasn’t been at work since September 2014. He hasn’t heard a case or issued an opinion in 13 months.
“I know David, and I’ve tried cases against David, and I’m shocked,” said David Finn, a Dallas attorney and former judge. “That’s not the David Lewis I knew.”
Hours after WFAA asked for a comment from Justice Lewis on Wednesday, he announced he was temporarily stepping down without pay. Through his Austin attorneys, Perry Minton and Zooey Wharton, Lewis said he was entering into a voluntary agreement with the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct to be suspended for a minimum of six months.
“His voluntary agreement to stand down for a period is a consequence of an unfortunate period in his life that included the abuse of alcohol,” his attorneys said in a statement. “Justice Lewis chose to take full responsibility for his situation by seeking out and successfully completing an alcohol treatment program and remains in recovery.”
Read more: http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/dallas-county/2015/11/04/appeals-court-judge-absent-since-september-2014/75195136/
