Dubious Distinction for District Judge

Judge Luis Aguilar who was recently in the news for receiving a more than 60 paragraph thumping from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct that outlined a series of complaints from threatening to issue a bench warrant against an attorney who wasn't properly notified of a hearing because she was on maternity leave, to berating prospective jurors, has another issue on his hands. 

Aguilar, who presides over the 243rd Judicial District Court and is currently seeking re-election, landed on a list compiled by a Texas publication for people in the legal profession, Texas Lawyer. 

The end-of-year list was called "The 2017 Top 10 Troubled Lawyers and Judges in Texas List” and was released in late December. You can see the list in its entirety by clicking this link. 

The list was mostly attorneys but three of the individuals profiled were judges and Aguilar was the only judge from El Paso to make the dubious statewide list. There was one other attorney from El Paso that made the list as well. 

Aguilar's inclusion on the list got the attention of one of his three opponents for the March primary, Selena Solis, a prominent El Paso attorney who has been practicing criminal defense law as a public defender in the federal courts. 

“This is embarrassing for our community, troubling and yet another black-eye for El Pasoans and the judiciary,” Selena Solis said. “I think voters deserve to have a better option in front of them and Judge Aguilar’s conduct undermines the public’s confidence in the judiciary and is a big part of why I stepped up to be a candidate.”

In a statement released on the matter by Solis, she continued, “As an attorney I am troubled by all the complaints outlined by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct, but as a mother, threatening to jail a lawyer who wasn’t given proper notice because she had just given birth is particularly egregious,” Solis commented. “The Texas Code of Judicial Conduct requires that judges be ‘patient, dignified, and courteous’ to all that appear before judges. That includes jurors with limited English and new mothers.”

In addition to Selena Solis, Judge Aguilar faces Felix Castañon and Roberto Ramos in the upcoming primary. This is the second time Judge Aguilar has received a public reprimand from the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. 

Aguilar has faced strong opposition before and weathered the storm when faced with a challenger. In his last election, Aguilar defeated Alyssa Perez, who is seeking another judicial office in this election cycle.