Attorney Sues Texas Judge, Calls Him ‘Racist’

BEAUMONT, Texas (CN) - A "racist" Texas judge falsified perjury charges against a black defense attorney and issued an order banning her from his chambers, which his bailiff enforced by shoving her out, the attorney claims in court.

Stella Morrison sued Judge Layne Walker, Jefferson County and Texas, in Jefferson County Court.

Morrison, 65, describes herself in the complaint as a longtime Jefferson County criminal defense attorney and a "civil rights leader who has made a very positive impact on the community."

She claims the trouble started after she and her husband ran against Walker for the 252nd Jefferson County District Court judgeship.

"Ms. Morrison and her husband, Honorable Judge Kermit Morrison, ran against Judge Layne Walker for this elected office," the complaint states. "Since those elections Judge Layne Walker has engaged in an ongoing pattern of harassment, retaliation, unconstitutional actions, grossly negligent conduct, and intentional Texas torts against Ms. Morrison.

"The vast majority of these culpable actions have occurred outside the scope of his jurisdiction as a judge, thus subjecting him to personal liability for all the causes of action pled in this complaint.

"In addition to tormenting Ms. Morrison due to her running for office against him, Judge Layne Walker's unlawful conduct against her is also based upon his intentional racial discrimination against African-Americans."

Morrison claims that Walker routinely imposes harsh sentences on "African-American criminal defendants beyond the legal sentencing limits under Texas law, and also beyond comparable sentences that Judge Layne Walker imposes upon Caucasian defendants in his court."

She claims that Walker wrote grievances to the State Bar against her, falsified perjury charges against her, for which a grand jury declined to indict, and "issued a standing order that Ms. Morrison is not allowed either in his chambers or in the public hallway outside his chambers."

All this is part of Walker's effort to get her law license revoked and make her life hell, Morrison says.

An exhibit to the complaint describes Walker's bailiff Tony Barker accosting her for being in Walker's chambers. Barker is not a defendant.

Walker says she went into Walker's chambers to talk to his assistant when Barker approached her.

"It was at this moment that Tony Barker, who is Judge Walker's bailiff, started yelling at me, 'You got to go,'" the exhibit states "I said, 'Why do I have to go?' Barker said, 'Judge Walker doesn't want you back here, you got no business being back here.' Barker then grabbed me by left arm and spun me around and grabbed the right side of my waist and started pushing me. At one point, Barker tried to pick me up to push me out the door. The door was opened by other officers, who heard the commotion. I tried to explain to the other officers that Barker had assaulted me. I was very upset and they all attempted to calm me down. Doug Boyd and other officers then escorted me to [Jefferson County Sheriff] Mitch Woods Office. I told the Sheriff the whole story. The Sheriff then stated that he would set a time to speak to Internal Affairs."

Morrison claims that "Walker is harming (her) ability to practice her profession."

She seeks $3 million in compensatory damages for civil rights violations and gross negligence, and punitive damages.

She is represented by John Morgan of Beaumont.

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