Kavanaugh-hating judge caught DWI

Democrat Judge John Lipscombe of Austin, Texas, returned to work after spending part of the weekend in jail on a charge of DWI. As a judge, he was set to hear over two dozen DWI cases today.

Three years ago, he got busted by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct for using his courtroom to protest the appointment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Lipscombe said Kavanaugh's apppointment besmirched our entire judiciary. 

Lipscombe's hands-on experience this weekend with driving while intoxicated -- oh, let me throw an obligatory allegedly in there -- began in the wee hours of Saturday.

The local paper played it down, but the local Fox channel detailed it.

Fox 7 reported, "According to the Travis County Sheriff's Office, the incident involving Judge John Lipscombe happened around 12:28 a.m. on Saturday, May 7. Deputies were called to the parking lot of Homewood Suites by Hilton Austin NW near The Domain in the 10925 block of Stonelake Boulevard in North Austin after the judge reportedly attempted to back his car into a parking space that was already occupied by a parked vehicle. Judge Lipscombe would have collided with the parked vehicle if a witness had not stopped him from doing so. 

"Judge Lipscombe and the witness reportedly got into a verbal argument before Judge Lipscombe drove around the parking lot and parked in a handicapped spot near the entrance of the hotel. When deputies arrived at the hotel, Judge Lipscombe was sitting in the lobby. He appeared to be slow to answer questions and was overall disoriented, according to the arrest affidavit.

"While speaking with deputies, Judge Lipscombe said he ‘had a couple of drinks at his house but not even to get messy.’ He reportedly had two double shots of rum and Coke while at his home, but could not recall when he began drinking or when he stopped drinking. Deputies attempted to do a field sobriety test but Judge Lipscombe refused, saying he recently had a broken right ankle."

This is not the first time the Drunk Tank Judge disgraced the state judiciary.

When the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh, the judge went berserk with power.

County Court at Law 3 Judge, @JohnLipscombe, draped funeral bunting over his door and shut down his court today as a form of “silent protest.” He says he felt the need to something after Kavanaugh’s confirmation, calling it a big step backwards for the country. @kvue pic.twitter.com/96OnrtxsHI

— Jenni Lee (@JenniL_KVUE) October 8, 2018

Almost a year later, the Austin newspaper reported, "A state ethics agency has rebuked a Travis County judge who closed his courtroom last year to protest the U.S. Senate confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"County Court-at-Law Judge John Lipscombe's actions, which included draping black fabric over his courtroom doors, 'cast public discredit on the judiciary' and was inconsistent with the proper performance of his duties, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct concluded."

Via Law.com, the judge told the commission, "I strongly felt, and continue to feel, that the Supreme Court and our entire judiciary has been besmirched and that I had a personal obligation to show my disapproval."

I hope the judge shows up sober for today's DWI hearings. But maybe he will have two more rum and Cokes to brace himself before hearing 25 or more such cases.

His current term ends on December 31. Maybe Texas can speed that up.