Judge who lashed daughter with belt gets "public" warning

BROWNSVILLE – The Aransas County family law judge seen beating his then-teenaged daughter in a YouTube video has been issued a “public warning” by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, a serious ruling that stops short of recommending removal from the bench.

Judge William Adams has been on paid leave since November, when daughter Hillary Adams posted her shocking secret recording of the lashing, which occurred in 2004 in her bedroom after she’d illegally downloaded some music videos. She was 16 at the time.

“The Commission acknowledges that Judge Adams was not aware that he had been secretly videotaped, and that he was not the person who released the videotape on the Internet,” the decision, released Tuesday, stated. “However, because Judge Adams regularly presides over and decides child custody, child abuse, and family violence cases, his private conduct did cast public discredit upon the judiciary and the administration of justice.”

The approximately seven-minute video of Adams striking Hillary with a belt at least 17 times drew millions of Web views, and had Hillary and her mother, Hallie, making the national talk show circuit.

Adams maintained that his daughter posted the video to get back at him for threatening to take away her Mercedes-Benz and to reduce his financial support.BROWNSVILLE – The Aransas County family law judge seen beating his then-teenaged daughter in a YouTube video has been issued a “public warning” by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, a serious ruling that stops short of recommending removal from the bench.

Judge William Adams has been on paid leave since November, when daughter Hillary Adams posted her shocking secret recording of the lashing, which occurred in 2004 in her bedroom after she’d illegally downloaded some music videos. She was 16 at the time.

“The Commission acknowledges that Judge Adams was not aware that he had been secretly videotaped, and that he was not the person who released the videotape on the Internet,” the decision, released Tuesday, stated. “However, because Judge Adams regularly presides over and decides child custody, child abuse, and family violence cases, his private conduct did cast public discredit upon the judiciary and the administration of justice.”

The approximately seven-minute video of Adams striking Hillary with a belt at least 17 times drew millions of Web views, and had Hillary and her mother, Hallie, making the national talk show circuit.

Adams maintained that his daughter posted the video to get back at him for threatening to take away her Mercedes-Benz and to reduce his financial support.
LET US PRAY LET US PRAY LET US PRAY

They all do it!

About the time all this happened, I chanced to visit a local meeting of a 12-step recovery group dedicated to a “spiritual awakening” in pursuit of recovery from addiction.

So, the chairmistress was a very authoritarian redhead with a day job of “correcting” juvenile offenders at a local lockup dedicated to the purpose. Without saying anything about Judge Adams, I mentioned something in jest. You see, she had been telling me all about how I should learn to “pray rightly,” the “AA way.” Y'oughta see that redhead strut her stuff. Whew!

I merely mentioned that if she or any of her capable colleagues should need my volunteer services delivering blistering bare bottom spankings to young ladies with attitudinal problems – a little something to make them more spiritual – they need only call on me for a discreet performance of the same.

“You could get locked up for that!” she spat – her tone filled with venom. Taken aback, I regarded her with shock and awe.

I replied, as calmly as possible, “Only if you snitch on me, honey. I mean, you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? I'm just saying.”

Whoosh! Went right over the top of her red head, it did. Gaining altitude, all the way...

So much for the kind of tolerance, pity and patience you would cheerfully grant a sick friend. I say, Victorian gentleman that I am, needless to say; I am in hot pursuit of whatever sensational item might satisfy the desires of a depraved public!