Ex Parte!

Over the last few days, a lady who once upon a time had a case in my court, didn’t bother to retain counsel and then lost her case, has been posting derogatory comments about me, my trip to Texas Tech, my morals and many other things in comments section of this blog. Since the lady’s acquaintance with standard English usage, spelling and grammar appears to have been a brief affair, over far too soon, some of her postings have been unintentionally humorous.  As soon as she posts one of her off the wall comments, I save it and then take it down. I gather that she is trying to get me to change my ruling in her case.

Being lobbied like this is a risk of being a judge. If the case were still open, I would have to chastise her at a minimum and perhaps hold her in contempt of court. I would also have to disclose these contacts to all the counsel and pro-se parties.

Fortunately for everyone in the case–and me–the case is closed and the period for filing a motion for a new trial is long past, being thirty days under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 329(b). When the thirty days came and went, I lost jurisdiction over the case. So even if I were so unethical as to change my mind because of an Internet stalker making attempts to contact me ex parte, I couldn’t do it!  Unless revived by a higher court, the case is closed, over and done with.

Being stalked on-line over a case which has long since passed from my jurisdiction and the judgment become final is rather humorous, isn’t it?

I hope that the stalker will find more productive outlets for her energies in the future, thereby avoiding further entanglements with the  legal system.