How Could You? Hall of Shame-Judge William Adams UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Rockport, Texas, Hillary Adams, on October 27, 2011, the daughter of Judge William Adams posted a viral 7-minute YouTube video of being beaten twenty times with a belt by the judge and her mother when she was aged 16 in 2004. Her “crime”? Downloading music from the internet to her computer in her bedroom. See the video here. It has been viewed almost 6 million times. Hillary has cerebral palsy. She says that she waited seven years to release the video because she feared for her safety and that of her mother and 11-year-old younger sister.  Her mother divorced him four years ago. The judge has joint custody of the 11-year-old sister and lives with the judge.

Daily Mail reports “Police Chief Tim Jayroe, of Rockport, Texas, said an investigation had been launched into Judge Adams after they were swamped with phone calls from all over the world when the film swept across the Internet. However he admitted it was difficult to determine when a line had been crossed.

Chief Jayroe said: ‘By state law a person has a right to discipline their children to a point, but not to the point that you cause serious bodily injury to a child.

The senior officer added that Judge Adams has left the Texas town of Rockport and a note outside the courthouse said his hearings had been cancelled. ”

Judge William Adams is unlikely to face criminal charges after authorities said that the statute of limitations for causing bodily injury to a child is five years. Judge Adams presides mostly over child abuse cases and now those cases are being brought into question.

The Associated Press reports that he “is still being investigated by the state’s judicial conduct commission and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which on Thursday [November 3] requested that he be removed from its cases until the investigation concludes…. As Aransas County’s top judge, he has dealt with at least 349 family law cases in the past year alone, nearly 50 of which involved state caseworkers seeking determine whether parents were fit to raise their children.

A Statement from the judge was posted on KSAT and is as follows:

“Judge William Adams sent this statement to his attorney, William A. Dudley:

“The seven year old video presently circulating the internet and now made the basis of international media attention, showing two parents disciplining their 16 year old daughter, who had been caught, by her own televised and internet reported admissions, engaged in repeated criminal activity, was posted for reasons other than as professed by the publisher.

It is regrettable that Hillary Adams, a bright and gifted person, would include in her post that she is or was a disabled or a special needs child. As multiple media appearances clearly demonstrate, Hillary Adams is articulate, possesses a superior IQ, and is capable of functioning as a productive adult in today’s complex society. No one should take the affliction of cerebral palsy lightly. Hillary’s parents did not. Hillary’s condition was monitored as a child and her medical needs met. However, neither should a perfectly capable adult try to use an affliction as a device for media sympathy. It should now be apparent to the world that “disabled” was mislabeled.

In response to the internet post, the media has appropriately attempted to understand why Hillary Adams chose the present time to disseminate the video. To many, her answers to those questions have been confusing and hollow. As she has said by recent interview, she “hoarded” the secret tape for future use, but has not explained, even now, for what purpose. Very few people find palatable her claim that it was to “help” her father.

Perhaps Hillary Adams should explain, if she felt she was raised by a tyrannical father, a claim shared with no one until five years after adulthood, why she insisted on living with her father and not her mother from the time of her parent’s divorce, until she moved out on her own. Hillary Adams has been living on her own for some time, and has been an adult for almost six years, so why post the video in late 2011?

William Adams is of the opinion that Hillary Adams is an extremely bright, highly functional, adult. The media has described her as a piano prodigy, who has competed at Carnegie Hall on multiple occasions. As one of Hillary’s long term teachers noted in the press, Hillary, so close to accomplishment, has of recent “inexplicably dropped out, just two classes shy of completing her [college] studies.” The video in question was recorded well before Hillary graduated high school. If the public must know, just prior to the You Tube upload, a concerned father shared with his 23 year old daughter that he was unwilling to continue to work hard and be her primary source of financial support, if she was going to simply “drop out”, and strive to achieve no more in life than to work part time at a video game store. Hillary warned her father if he reduced her financial support, and took away her Mercedes automobile, which her father had provided, he would live to regret it. The post was then uploaded. The public may wonder if this is the tyranny of which Hillary Adams speaks as her reason to disseminate the video seven years after it was recorded, and five years into adulthood? Is this the reason she “hoarded” the video for seven years?

William Adams regrets the interruption and inconvenience his daughter’s post has caused to the Aransas County, Texas community. Judge Adams is confident that when the dust settles and international media attention has passed, and the work ahead, whether civil, criminal, or administrative has taken it’s full course and has been fully developed, with an opportunity for all sides to ask and answer relevant questions, it will be concluded that Hillary Adam’s actions in 2011 were misguided and misleading.

Judge Adams regrets, if true, that his daughter believes he is in need of healing from the family divorce. Divorce is certainly traumatic, and takes a significant toll on all, especially children. Judge Adams is of the opinion that Hillary’s gesture is little more than a much needed but hard to believe explanation of why she chose to post the video. If this entire event was a plea for help and healing, the methodology is certainly unorthodox. Judge Adams, who among other reasons, still has a minor daughter to consider, chooses to involve the media as little as possible whilst personal family matters are sorted through. The public may ponder what consideration Hillary Adams gave her little sister before subjecting the entire family to world-wide microscopic scrutiny, and permanent consequences.

It is Judge Adams’ civic responsibility to respond to whatever investigations may result from a revelation of the disciplinary actions resorted to by his former wife and him on the viral video. Those investigations will require answers to many questions raised by the media and public and for which no appropriate forum has been chosen to date. He is confident the process will be managed in accordance with the law. For the sake of his family, co-workers, and Aransas County officials who must endure the additional work and expense, he wishes that the process not be played out daily on a national stage.”

Punishments?

Texas Tribune reports “Cynthia Gray, Director of the Center for Judicial Ethics of the American Judicature Society, described the range of potential actions the judicial conduct commission might take, ranging from a private reprimand (the least severe) to removal proceedings against the judge (the most severe).

“They can issue a warning, reprimand, a finding of misconduct in an admonition, censure, impose voluntary retirement, or removal,” Gray said. Removal and imposition of voluntary retirement aside, all the other consequences represent “different levels of a public scolding,” Gray said. But as for what, if anything, might occur in this case, she noted, “It’s too early to tell.”

Charles “Chip” Babcock, a Houston attorney with experience in SCJC investigations, said that the investigation could suffer from the same problem faced by the police — a long time lapse between the actual incident and the video becoming public. Though most SCJC investigations stem from complaints relating to judicial matters, the commission does take up complaints relating to “out-of-court behaviors”.

“It is a complicated procedure that could take a short time or could take years,” said Babcock.”

November 8 Interview with Hillary

“She says the response from her father has not been constructive and she thinks he needs to reevaluate the situation.

Hillary also says she has mixed feelings about the protests and outrage aimed at her parents.

“I don’t know how I feel about that protest, because that’s my dad they’re yelling about,” she said.

While she says she understands the anger some feel toward her father she says the similar feelings expressed toward her mother are unwarranted.

“But the rage against my mother I feel is undeserved. There are a lot of people saying I shouldn’t be around my mother and she’s a terrible person for joining in and she should have left. All of those people they don’t understand how abuse, manipulation all of that, it really does weird things to a family.”

Hillary has a ten-year-old sister who she says spends time with both of her parents since their separation. She says the family is trying to shield her from the media attention, but she is worried about the girl.

Hillary says she doesn’t think her sister has been physically abused, but she believes emotional abuse may be a way of life for her.

“I do want her to get away from my father, she experiencing that at ten years old. If it’s hard for me and i’m in my early twenties I can’t imagine what she must be going through as a ten-year-old,” she said.

Now that she is back home, Hillary says she wants to try to get her life back to as normal as possible.
She also says she’s hoping to get her while family involved in counseling.”

Father DARED me to post video: Judge’s wife and daughter reveal home life of ‘dysfunction and addiction’ that led to brutal beating
[Daily Mail 11/3/11 by Daniel Miller, Louise Boyle, and Lucy Buckland]

Judge Says Daughter’s Beating was ‘Discipline’
[ABC 11/3/11 by Colleen Curry]

http://news.yahoo.com/police-judge-wont-charged-over-video-beating-044701682.html
[Associated Press 11/4/11 by Christopher Sherman]

Statement From Judge William Adams
[KSAT]

Texplainer: Will Judge Who Beat Daughter Be Punished?
[Texas Tribune 11/8/11 by Danny Guerra and Susannah Jacob]

Hillary Adams Discusses Media Attention, Fears About Younger Sister
[KZTV 11/8/11 by Steven Romo]

Update: The judge “has been placed under a temporary restraining order, and his ex-wife’s attorney said Friday it effectively prevents him from visiting his younger daughter.

Under the order issued Thursday by another judge, Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams is forbidden from visiting his 10-year-old daughter without getting permission from the girl’s mother, his ex-wife. The order also says Adams can’t disparage the woman or drink alcohol within 24 hours of seeing his child.

Brett Pritchard, the attorney for Adams’ ex-wife Hallie Adams, said in a prepared statement that the ruling “temporarily terminates the visitation between Judge Adams and his younger child.”

“State District Judge Kemper Stephen Williams scheduled a hearing for Nov. 21 to decide on Hallie Adams’ request to have William Adams’ visitation denied or require that it be supervised.”

“The district attorney and federal prosecutors both declined to bring charges against William Adams, but the State Commission on Judicial Conduct continues its investigation.

Last week, Rockport Police Chief Tim Jayroe said that police did not interview the younger daughter, but asked both Hallie and Hillary Adams about it and there was no indication of abuse of the younger daughter. ”

Restraining order for judge in beating video
[CBS News 11/12/11]

Update 2: Two days before Thanksgiving, Judge Adams was suspended.

“The Texas Supreme Court has suspended a judge whose beating of his then-teenage daughter in 2004 was viewed millions of times on the Internet.

According to an order signed Tuesday by the clerk of the state’s highest court, Aransas County court-at-law Judge William Adams is suspended immediately with pay pending the outcome of the inquiry started by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct earlier this month.

The order makes clear that while Adams agreed to the commission’s recommended temporary suspension and waived the hearing and notice requirements, he does not admit “guilt, fault or wrongdoing” regarding the allegations. His attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Adams’ now 23-year-old daughter Hillary Adams uploaded the 2004 video of her father beating her repeatedly with a belt.”

Judge William Adams Suspended While State Commission Investigates Abuse Video
[Huffington Post 11/23/11 by Christopher Sherman]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update 3:”A judge, who was suspended after an online video showing him beating his teenage daughter went viral, was reinstated by the Texas Supreme Court this week.

Judge William Adams was back working Wednesday at Aransas County after his suspension was lifted by the state’s high court, a court clerk said.

The state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct earlier ruled that Adams would receive a public warning for the incident, which cleared the way for the suspension to be lifted.

The move to allow the judge back on the bench angered Adams’ former wife and daughter.

“My first feeling is extreme sadness,” said Hallie Adams, the former wife. “I feel sad for the public. I see the justice system is failing and justice review system is failing.”

Hillary Adams, the judge’s daughter, was also upset.

“I’m embarrassed to live in Texas,” said the girl who was the buzz on the Internet last year after releasing the beating video.

Adams was suspended last year after the 2004 video went public. It showed him beating his then-16-year-old daughter because she downloaded online music and games.

The beating occurred when her father was punishing her for using the Internet “to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time,” Hillary Adams, wrote on the Internet posting. She said she released the video after being harassed by her father.

“It was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she said last November. “It wasn’t any huge happening or anything.”

She said she told her father she had the video, “and he didn’t seem to think anything of it, and basically dared me to post it.”

The video posting said, “Judge William Adams is not fit to be anywhere near the law system if he can’t even exercise fit judgment as a parent himself. Do not allow this man to ever be re-elected again. His ‘judgment’ is a giant farce. Signed, Hillary Adams, his daughter.”

The 7 1/2-minute video is punctuated by cracks of the man’s belt and the girl’s screams and cries.

At one point, the man says to his near-hysterical daughter, “What happened to you, Hillary? Once you were an obedient, nice little girl. Now you lie, cheat and steal.”

At another point, he yells at her, “You want to put some more computer games on? You want some more?”

William Adams has acknowledged that the man in the video was him.

As a judge, William Adams handles misdemeanor cases, including family-related and juvenile court issues.” 

Texas judge in video beating is back at work[CNN 10/4/12 by Joe Sutton]