JUDGE WATCH: Justice Sharon Keller Amends Her Financial Report, It's Up $2.4 Million

Justice Sharon Keller has submitted her amended financial statements, and boy have things changed.

She has added over $2,400,000 in property and income from the last financial statement that she filed. And, as the presiding chief justice of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, she is required by law to reveal in writing all her assets.

Why didn't she just include all this stuff before now?

Her daddy didn't tell her.

That's right. Yes, this is the explanation that the Chief Justice gave the Texas Ethics Commission for this huge, glaring omission.

In her sworn statement, which was filed along with these amended financials, Justice Keller points the finger at her dad - seems he acts as business manager for his four kids, and he's placed properties in all their names. Guess this never, ever got talked about at family gatherings, or that daddy's daughter never thought to ask anything like "what are you using my name for?"

Lawyers never think of things like that.

Still no answer on what she thought she was signing periodically, and one would assume that with $2.4 million in assets floating around, that there were times when Daddy would need Daughter's signature on something.

What are these assets?

According to the financial statement, and the reporting of the Dallas Morning News, these newly revealed assets include:

1. two fast-food restaurants
2. a bank
3. a home on Garland Road
4. another home on Garland Road
5. a commercial tract in Euless, Texas (1.5 acres)
6. 22 Certificates of Deposit (CDs) in four different banks
7. $110,000 investment income.

Must've Been A Nice Surprise

Boy howdy. Wouldn't that be great -- to discover that you own a bank, a couple of restaurants, two houses on Garland Road, some land, some CDs, and you're gonna get over $100K each year in investment income?!! Wow.

Sources:

Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-keller_02pro.ART.State.Edition2.4aa5bed.html