Judge suspended in video beating returns to bench
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - A Texas judge shown in a video beating his teenage daughter in 2004 will return to the bench this week after the Texas Supreme Court lifted his suspension.
The justices reinstated Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams on Tuesday, a year after they suspended him with pay when a video of him beating of his daughter became an Internet sensation.
Adams is scheduled to preside over cases on the regular court docket Wednesday in Rockport, Aransas County District Clerk Pam Heard told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times for an article in Sunday's edition.
However, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will no longer present him with cases involving violence against children.
County commissioners voted earlier this year to cut Adams' 2013 salary by 1.6 percent to $144,000. Other elected county officials received a 2 percent cost-of-living increase. Adams doesn't come up for re-election until 2014.
The sheriff's office said it will enhance security the day he returns to work, a move Heard welcomed in light of the intense emotions generated by the family law cases presented in Adams' court.
"Everything is different now in this day and age, and you always have to worry about it," she said.
Adams' older daughter, Hillary Adams, uploaded the 2004 video to YouTube just over a year ago. The video shows William Adams repeatedly whipping his then-16-year-old daughter with a belt for illegally downloading music.
The nearly eight-minute video viewed millions of times shows the judge lashing Hillary in the legs more than a dozen times and growing increasingly irate while she screams and refuses to turn over on a bed to be beaten.
"Lay down or I'll spank you in your (expletive) face," Adams screams as Hillary wails and pleads for him to stop.
Adams wife at the time, Hallie Adams, also is shown striking the then-16-year-old girl. She and her daughter have reconciled since then and have argued that Hillary's father is unfit to sit on the county bench.
Adams' attorneys have argued in court that his ex-wife is motivated by a desire to strip him of custody of their youngest daughter and Hillary, now 24, is motivated by bitterness over losing his financial support.
The justices reinstated Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams on Tuesday, a year after they suspended him with pay when a video of him beating of his daughter became an Internet sensation.
Adams is scheduled to preside over cases on the regular court docket Wednesday in Rockport, Aransas County District Clerk Pam Heard told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times for an article in Sunday's edition.
However, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will no longer present him with cases involving violence against children.
County commissioners voted earlier this year to cut Adams' 2013 salary by 1.6 percent to $144,000. Other elected county officials received a 2 percent cost-of-living increase. Adams doesn't come up for re-election until 2014.
The sheriff's office said it will enhance security the day he returns to work, a move Heard welcomed in light of the intense emotions generated by the family law cases presented in Adams' court.
"Everything is different now in this day and age, and you always have to worry about it," she said.
Adams' older daughter, Hillary Adams, uploaded the 2004 video to YouTube just over a year ago. The video shows William Adams repeatedly whipping his then-16-year-old daughter with a belt for illegally downloading music.
The nearly eight-minute video viewed millions of times shows the judge lashing Hillary in the legs more than a dozen times and growing increasingly irate while she screams and refuses to turn over on a bed to be beaten.
"Lay down or I'll spank you in your (expletive) face," Adams screams as Hillary wails and pleads for him to stop.
Adams wife at the time, Hallie Adams, also is shown striking the then-16-year-old girl. She and her daughter have reconciled since then and have argued that Hillary's father is unfit to sit on the county bench.
Adams' attorneys have argued in court that his ex-wife is motivated by a desire to strip him of custody of their youngest daughter and Hillary, now 24, is motivated by bitterness over losing his financial support.
I don't care what her motivation was, I'm just glad she shared this video with the world. Would it really surprise anyone if she does want some sort of revenge? I mean, this guy raised her and had an affect on her psyche, and he seem pretty darn punitive. I watched the video when it came out, and I got that he was enjoying himself and that there may have even been some sexual excitement involved for him. It was disgusting. A swat on the behind for a toddler doesn't bother me. Beating any child bothers me. Spanking a teenaged girl (or boy) is creepy and ineffective. My kid towers above me and outweighs me by a lot. He'd laugh if I tried, then he'd pick me up and run circles around the house. Taking the cell phone away is far more effective. My kid is a good kid and he doesn't give me any trouble anyway. It has been at least two years since he needed the cell phone taken away.
Got to remember this is Texas where the "good ole boy" Jim Crow system of Justice still rules, perhaps unofficially, but still rules never the less. I've lived there for a year and experienced Texas in action. The best thing that happened to me regarding Texas was seeing the "Welcome to the Land of Enchantment" sign as I crossed the border into New Mexico. Â
 @growlerxrunner I lived in TX for 23 years and you are correct, vestiges of Jim Crow still abound. You will see a lot of "self-segregation" down there. I was always struck by the fact that in nearly every town, you can find multiple churches where there are two of that denomination. One church for blacks, another for whites - and you will see that to this day. There are of course plenty of other examples too, but one would think the churches would see this as wrong.
One of the worst 'Slap on the wrist' cases I have ever read about. Back on the bench...the only bench he should be sitting on is the one in his cell behind bars, holding this animal where he belongs!!
If I was the party of a case coming before this judge, I would move to have it put on the docket of a different judge.Â
Without commenting on the motivations of any parties involved, I will say that this man has no business being involved in the administration of justice in any way, shape, or form.
One rule for them and another for the rest of us.... :( Anybody else would've lost their job.