Probate Judge Receives Public Reprimanded

The Probate Court Judge of Denton County, Texas received a public reprimand on August 31, 2006 by the [Texas] State Commission on Judicial Conduct.  See Disciplinary Actions, 69 Tex. B.J. 1084, 1088 (2006).  Here is the description of the judge’s improper conduct:

The commission found that through his efforts to assist his wife’s company, Guardianship Services, Inc., court appointments given to a friend and business partner who owed him money, Windle lent the prestige of judicial office to advance his own private interests and the private interests of his wife and his friend, and conveyed the impression that his wife and his friend were in special positions to influence him, in violation of Canon 2B of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.

Furthermore, Windle’s business relationships with his wife and his friend reflected adversely on the judge’s impartiality and involved the judge in frequent transactions with persons likely to come before the court, in violation of Canon 4D(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct. As a result of the judge’s actions, the Dallas Morning News published an article raising serious questions about the judge’s impartiality, integrity, and independence and casting public discredit upon the judiciary and administration of justice in Denton County. In reaching this conclusion, the commission notes that [the judge] provided false and misleading information to the commission in his sworn written responses to the commission’s initial inquiry. [The judge’s] lack of candor to the commission proved to be an aggravating factor in reaching a final decision in this case.