GALVESTON - Nearly two weeks after his ex-fiancée revealed that he allegedly planned to kill his former spouse, a suspended Galveston County judge went on the witness stand to refute the claims.
Galveston County Court-at-Law No. 3 Judge Christopher Dupuy challenged Tara Compton's recent testimony on June 6, insisting talk of a desire to kill Adrienne Viterna, fake his own death and whisk their two children away to New Zealand was false.
Viterna requested the custody hearing in an effort to secure an emergency protective order in light of Compton’s allegations, which were previously documented in an affidavit.
Dupuy was arrested and indicted by a local Grand Jury, facing eight criminal counts arising from allegations he abused his power.
He is also the target of a lawsuit filed in the Galveston County 10th District Court that seeks his ouster from the judgeship.
The Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct suspended him without pay.
When Lori Laird, his ex-wife's attorney, asked him if he wanted to get a "lowlife" to carry out the act, Dupuy said no.
Dupuy also said that he would take his son and daughter with Viterna to New Zealand so they "can be children."
He decried the purported instances Viterna recorded him and the offspring.
A video showing him carrying his 8-year-old daughter away from her mother at a soccer facility was shown in court.
Viterna testified prior to Dupuy.
Regarding his defunct relationship with Compton, Dupuy asserted that he never proposed to her and only she thought the two of them were engaged.
Dupuy refutes claims he plotted to kill former wife
ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY