Texas judge won’t face assault charges against daughter

Summary of story from  the Detroit Free Press, November 5, 2011

A Texas family law judge whose daughter secretly videotaped him beating her seven years ago won’t face criminal charges because too much time has elapsed, police have said.

“We believe that there was a criminal offense involved and that there was substantial evidence to indicate that and under normal circumstances … a charge could have been made,” Rockport Police Chief Tim Jayroe said Thursday.

The video posted last week shows Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams viciously lashing his then 16-year-old daughter Hillary with a belt and trying to force her over her bed to be beaten despite her wails to stop. To date, the eight minute clip has received over 2.4 million views.

In a three page statement issued Thursday, Adams stated that his daughter, now 23, posted the clip in response to him reducing the financial support he gave her. She denies this.

The state’s judicial conduct commission and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services are still investigating William Adams, and on Thursday requested that he be removed from its cases until the investigation is concluded.