Texas County judge sued for allegedly violating rights of group in his courtroom
Texas County Associate Circuit Judge Douglas Gaston is being sued for allegedly “conspiring” to imprison a couple in his courtroom, thus violating their rights, according to a recent lawsuit.
Arthur and Norma Rogers of neighboring Wright County, along with son-in-law William Hale, were seated in Gaston’s courtroom in June 2017 for a custody hearing regarding the Rogers’ granddaughter, the lawsuit said.
The three were not parties to the case, but the suit alleged Gaston “conspired” with officers in the court to have the three taken into custody, tested for drugs, and detained. The suit said Hale, who suffers from diabetes, was restrained around the ankle. He developed an ulcer and had to have a partial amputation of his foot — an ailment he had experienced before, the lawsuit said.
The Rogers and Hale are represented by Anthony Rothert and Gillian Wilcox of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri. Gaston was not able to respond to the allegations when reached by The Missouri Times, citing the “Canons of Judicial Ethics.”
Read more: https://themissouritimes.com/65299/texas-county-judge-sued-for-allegedly-violating-rights-of-group-in-his-courtroom/