Dallas County Judge Declares Courts Open, Then Breaks His Leg on the Way to Work
Were courts in Dallas County open on Tuesday and Wednesday?
County Judge Clay Jenkins said the answer was yes, but the reality was different, the Dallas Morning News reports. He is likely regretting that decision—and not just because of the criticism and confusion that followed.
On Wednesday, Jenkins slipped on a patch of ice on his way to work and broke his right leg, the Dallas Morning News says in a separate story.
Many lawyers had better luck traversing icy roads to the courthouse, but then learned on their arrival that many courts were closed, the Dallas Morning News says. And prosecutors weren’t required to be in court on Tuesday because the District Attorney’s office was closed.
Some jurors and litigants also learned too late about court closings. Lee Bright, president of the Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, told the newspaper that he checked out the situation at the criminal courthouse.
On Tuesday, he said, some clerks made it to work, but most judges did not. Too few security guards showed up to staff all entrances. On Wednesday, he said, he saw confused people in the hallways outside courtrooms with no judges. One man had flown in from China with his son to attend a trial, but the judge never arrived, he added.
