AUSTIN - A justice of the peace has been publicly admonished for commenting on social media that he would release anyone brought before him charged with violating stay at home orders during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued the public admonition against Judge Clyde Black, justice of the peace for Precinct 1 in Crockett, Houston County, on Feb. 28, records show.
According to the commission, in March 2020 Judge Black posted a note on the Houston County Facebook page concerning Covid-19 "Stay at Home" orders, announcing that anyone brought before him for magistration for violating such an order would be released by him.
In his written responses to the commission, Judge Black defended his statements on social media indicating they were intended to respond to national news and community concerns about fines and jail terms, and stated that there were no such "stay at home" orders in effect at the time.
According to the commission, several Texas counties had Covid-19 emergency orders in place shortly before and after Judge Black's Facebook posting, and Gov. Abbott had issued Executive Order GA 14, on March 31, 2020, which declared that failure to comply with that order was "punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000, confinement in jail for a term not to exceed 180 days, or both fine and confinement."
“Based upon the record before it and the factual findings recited above, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct has determined that the Honorable Clyde Black … should be publicly admonished for publicly commenting on a social media platform that he would release anyone brought before him charged with violating stay at home orders or other restrictions issued during the Covid-19 public health emergency,” the public admonition states.