Published by admin on 11 Nov 2009 at 04:04 pm
DA wants judge off 74 domestic violence cases
By BRIAN ROGERS Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office upped the ante against criminal Court-at-Law Judge Reagan Helm on Tuesday, asking him to remove himself from “any and all” cases involving accusations of domestic violence because of “deep-seated bias and prejudice.”
In motions filed Tuesday joining two earlier recusal requests, prosecutors asked the judge to remove himself from 74 cases that include 64 defendants, alleging that he makes “frivolous” comments that “trivialize the seriousness of the proceedings.”
“Judge Reagan C. Helm has created an environment of hostility towards victims of domestic violence that would cause a reasonable person to question his impartiality,” according to the motion.
Helm denied that his comments were inappropriate and said prosecutors should have approached him informally to address their concerns.
