People who act as if they're above the law and the rules don't apply to them provoke righteous indignation in law-abiding citizens.
Who do they think they are, we wonder, and what makes them so special?
It's even more outrageous when a scofflaw turns out to be a representative of the legal profession, someone who knows the law well and should be expected to honor and uphold it and set an example for the rest of us, such as an attorney, a law professor, a legislator, or a judge.
When the malefactor has had all four of those jobs, his behavior and attitude behind it are especially contemptible.
Ron Reynolds is, or has been, all four: attorney, law professor, legislator, judge.
A managing partner at the Brown, Brown and Reynolds Law Firm, Reynolds is an adjunct professor at Texas Southern University, a state legislator, and a former municipal court judge. He is also a past president of the Houston Lawyers Association.
Last year, State Rep. Ron Reynolds (District 27) was named "Freshman of the Year" by the House Democratic Caucus.
Last week, he was arrested for barratry after a fellow attorney accused him of using a go-between to solicit her as a client after a car accident.
This is just the latest in a long series of infractions for Reynolds.
The Texas Ethics Commission previously fined him $10,000 for refusing to file legally-required disclosure statements. The Attorney General's Office had to sue him to compel payment and the Comptroller's Office is garnishing his legislative salary to collect the debt.
Reynolds failed to submit his Personal Financial Statement for 2008, 2010 and 2011.
If convicted of barratry, Reynolds faces up to $10,000 in fines and possible loss of his law license.
Despite what he may think, Rep. Ron Reynolds is not above the law. The Court should take this opportunity to remind him – and other scofflaws – that the rules apply to everyone.