BEAUMONT – Over the years, iconic attorneys Walter Umphrey and Wayne Reaud have contributed greatly to the Jefferson County courthouse – somewhat literally, as the two men and their law firms have been stuffing heaps of cash into the coffers of the judges who preside over their cases for decades now.
Now, apparently seeking to “honor” Umphrey and Reaud for their “accomplishments,” the Commissioners’ Court will vote tomorrow on whether to authorize the erection of busts of the men in the courthouse’s entry courtyard.
If authorized, a bust of Gilbert Low will also be erected alongside Umphrey and Reaud.
Umphrey, one of the “Big Five” tobacco lawyers, has somewhat faded from the spotlight in recent years, last making headlines in 2018 when his wife filed a $2 million lawsuit against his mistress, alleging the woman “seduced” and “swindled” her husband.
Reaud, however, is still making news, as The Record recently reported that a former Jefferson County deputy testified Reaud threatened him with criminal charges unless he made up corruption claims against former district judge Layne Walker, who joined Umphrey’s law firm after leaving the bench.
Over the past several decades, the law firms of Provost Umphrey and Reaud Morgan & Quinn have filed thousands of toxic torts in courthouses throughout Southeast Texas.
And while the competition for asbestos lawsuits may have sparked an unspoken rivalry between the two firms, PU and RMQ have seemingly always been on the same page when it comes to electing district judges in Jefferson County.
For example, in 2018 Judge Kent Walston, despite running unopposed, received tens of thousands of dollars from area attorneys.
Walston’s biggest contributors were PU and RMQ, as the two firms and their attorneys gave a combined total of $25,000 to the judge.
Walston is a Democrat presiding over the 58th District Court in Jefferson County.
Prior to Walston, Donald Floyd, formerly of the 172nd District Court in Jefferson County, was the largest recipient of PU and RMQ cash.