Please make plans now to be in Austin on August 17 to attend the trial of Sharon “Killer” Keller.
In November 2007, we held a protest on the sidewalk outside of Keller’s million dollar home in Austin. Watch video here and below. We filed an official complaint against Keller with the State Commission on Judical Conduct that was signed by about 1,900 people who were outraged at Keller’s unethical behavior.
Watch video of us delivering a copy of the complaint to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The video includes a statement by the sister of Michael Richard, the person for whom Keller refused to accept the appeal.
Last week, it was reported that Keller left off millions of dollars of assets on her required reports to the Texas Ethics Commmission and at the same time she is asking the state to pay her legal expenses to defend herself against misconduct charges when she refused to keep the Court of Criminal Appeals open long enough to allow a person set for execution on Sept 25, 2007 to file an appeal that day after the U.S. Supreme Court had earlier in the day accepted a case that placed a moratorium on executions for more than half a year.
The trial into charges that Sharon Keller violated her duty as head of the state’s highest criminal court will begin Aug. 17.
The trial, which could last a week or longer, will be in Austin in a location to be determined, said Seana Willing, executive director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which charged Keller with improperly closing her court to an after-hours appeal by death row inmate Michael Richard in 2007.
“Now it’s up to us to find a location to accommodate a large group of people, because at least for the first day or so, I imagine the trial will be heavily attended,” Willing said today.
Next, the Texas Supreme Court will appoint a judge to act as special master to run the trial. The special master will issue findings about whether Keller should be exonerated, publicly reprimanded or removed from office.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct can vote to exonerate or reprimand Keller. A vote to oust Keller from office would be reviewed by a special panel of seven appellate court judges.
