Municipal Court Judge Faces Felonies for Alleged Hit-and-Run
Gladys Toney Bransford, a Houston municipal court judge, was charged with hitting a woman with her car, driving away and tampering with evidence.
Bransford, 75, works part-time for the court, the Houston Chronicle reports. Graciela Almuhammadawy told police a woman in a black Mercedes-Benz hit her in a 99 Cent Store parking lot, while the driver tried to park in a handicapped spot. According to Almuhammadawy, she put her palm on the vehicle, the driver got out, and Almuhammadawy asked her to call for help. The woman then drove away, according to the criminal complaint, Almuhammadawy got her license plate number, and police tracked the vehicle to Bransford’s residence.
According to the Chronicle, police noticed a palm print on the roof of Bransford’s car, and she allegedly tried to wipe it off after an officer asked her to remove belongings from the vehicle, because it was being towed for processing.
Bransford was not immediately reached for comment, according to the Chronicle. Court records show she posted $5,000 bond on each charge.
