10 Attorneys Petition for Removal of Judge for Remarks in Gay Case

A group of 10 attorneys on Thursday petitioned for the removal of a Dallas judge who said he sentenced an 18-year-old murderer to only 30 years in prison because his two victims were homosexuals.

District Judge Jack Hampton also is under investigation by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct because of complaints filed by the Dallas Gay Alliance and the Texas Human Rights Foundation.

The petition was filed with District Judge Ron Chapman, who is presiding judge of the 1st Administrative Judicial Region, which includes 35 counties in North Texas. Chapman automatically passes the petition to the Texas Supreme Court, which has the power to remove a judge.

The petition will be held until Monday to allow other attorneys to read it and sign it if they desire, a court spokesman said.

Don Mason, one of the Dallas attorneys who signed the petition, said Hampton violated judicial conduct. “Clearly there has been a discredit thrown on the judiciary and its impartiality,” he said.

The 1 1/2-page petition asks the state Supreme Court to remove Hampton for violating three canons of the Code of Judicial Conduct. “We believe Judge Hampton cannot be fair and impartial and should be removed from office,” the petition said.

Attached was a copy of a Dec. 15 newspaper interview with Hampton. The judge said he sentenced Richard Lee Bednarski to 30 years rather than life because the two victims were “queers.” Hampton said the men “wouldn’t have been killed if they hadn’t been cruising the streets picking up teen-age boys.”