ACSBlog: The Blog of the American Constitution Society

A Texas judge has thrown a party, complete with balloons and streamers, to celebrate the sentencing of a fugitive who had been returned to her court a year after jumping bail. Judge Faith Johnson presented Billy Wayne Williams with a cake bearing his name and, to symbolize the year he had spent on the run, one candle. "We're so excited to see you, we're throwing a party for you," the judge told Williams before sentencing him to life in prison.

The executive director of the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct, Seana Willing, found the conduct "troubling" and questioned whether the conduct violated standards of decorum and impartiality. Willing added, "It's the kind of thing I look at and scratch my head and wonder, 'What was she thinking?'" Her office may investigate. The Dallas Morning News (free registration required) quotes Willing as adding, "I'm not saying the defendant wasn't a bad guy, but if you're being sentenced to life in prison, there should be some solemnity. Having cake and balloons ... is mocking him and making fun of him." (Thanks to Julie Saltman for the pointer.)