Bad Date With Defendant Puts Judge on Trial; Defense Alleges Batted Eyelashes
As the trial of a Texas judge begins, over a bad date with a defendant who had a drunken-driving case pending in his court, his lawyers are blaming the woman for allegedly instigating the encounter that led to the misdemeanor official oppression case.
There’s no dispute that Harris County Court-at-Law Judge Donald Jackson, who is now 60, went out to dinner with the 27-year-old woman. However, what was said before, during and after the date is in dispute, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The defense contends that Ariana Venegas “batted her eyelashes” at the judge to seek special treatment, the newspaper recounts, and says there was no sexual harassment and no deprivation of Venegas’ rights in her drunken-driving case.
“This is a girl who plays the role of the poor little baby doll who needs a man to get her out of a mess, and she plays all the angles,” argued attorney Lewis Dickson, who represents Jackson, at the judge’s trial.
The defense contends that Venegas approached the judge in a hallway outside court and asked for his help; the prosecution argues that he called her to the bench Feb. 19 and asked her for her phone number, then arranged a meeting to discuss her case.
The government alleges in an indictment that Jackson offered to help Venegas find a lawyer and get her case dismissed “if she would be interested in the defendant and enter into a relationship with him that was more than a one-night stand.”
Assistant Harris County District Attorney Paula Hartman told the jury that a waitress will testify that the meal appeared to be a “first date gone wrong,” as Venegas sat silently, huddled over with her head down, the Chronicle reports.
The judge was suspended from the bench after being indicted in August, but is still being paid his $140,000-a-year salary.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Texas Judge Accused of Seeking ‘More Than a 1-Night Stand’ Is Suspended”
