I’ve received about three e-mails from three separate people on three separate cases in which 378th District Court Judge Al Scoggins, R-Waxahachie, first appointed in 1995 by then-Gov. George W. Bush, has been way too cozy with lawyers who appear before him.
This has been, according to these three individuals in unrelated (to each other) cases, to the detriment of fairness, impartiality, etc., etc.
This won’t be the first time a judge in Ellis County has been accused of being too comfortable with lawyers who appear before him or her, but Scoggins doesn’t really have much of a controversial past. But for some reason, the three e-mails I’ve received this year about the 378th District Court seem to have the same general feeling…
Time to bust out the Scrutiny Pen…if readers would like to share their stories, tips or vouch for what has been posted here, feel free to contact us via info@elliscountyobserver.com or post a comment. You can remain anonymous, and are encouraged to do so.
Horse Hockey
October 7, 2009
Let me guess. All three lost their cases, right?
Losers always blame their lawyersn or the court, or anyone but themselves.
Too familiar
October 8, 2009
Unless you are part of “the good ol’ boy” circle.. you will ALWAYS lose. So, horse whatever, apparently you’ve never had a life changing decision left in the balance of his bias BS. To hear an appointed judge in a district court yell at a women to “SHUT UP!” for no reason, in an abusive unprofessional manner is disgusting. (this has been witnessed on several occasions, which is a violation of The State Commision on Judicial Conduct) A violation of this sort, is against the Texas Constitution, the Penal Code, the Code of Judicial Conduct or other rules established by the Supreme Court. Not recusing himself from cases of personal friends, and obvious judicial bias is what I have witnessed in the Honorable Al Scoggins district court. Welcome to “the good ol boys’ ” world!
Cilly Bob
October 8, 2009
So the woman in question was sitting quietly in court, not speaking, not making any sort of disruption and the judge yelled “SHUT UP” with no provocation? Of course I wasn’t there, but that story seems a bit far fetched.
And what exactly are “Good ol’ boys”?
I have a circle of friends that I do business with. Are we Good ol’ boys?
I have a circle of friends from church. Are we Good ol’ boys?
I have a circle of friends from school. Are we Good ol’ boys?
I have a circle of friends that gets together to fights against the Good ol’ boy system. Are we Good ol’ boys?
In society, we all have a group of people that we deal with on a daily basis. That group can be defined by its perimeters. Such as Baptist vs. Methodist, Waxahachie vs. Midlothian, Texas vs. Oklahoma, United States vs. England and so forth. It seems by your description, every group that you are not in is somehow composed of “Good ol’ boys” out to take over the world.
The Rotary club has, as its expressed purpose, the enhancement of commerce. The Chambers of Commerce are groups of business working with each other to facilitate growth. Are all of these institutions Good ol’ boys?
To make the statement that no one gets ahead unless they are part of the Good ol’ boy system is on the surface, simplistic. But, there is a shred of truth there. If you want to succeed in anything in society, whether it is business, politics or religion, you MUST become a part of that societal group. You must interact with people with the same goals and ideas. And, if your ideas are new or different, it’s easier to change them from within rather than trying to beat down the walls from the outside.
(There are, of course, exceptions, such as tyranny. But in the US, we’re nowhere close to a true tyranny.)
MORE than my 2 cents worth. But, I felt like writing today.
charlotted
October 8, 2009
Small town, small court, DA’s know the judges, judges know the DA’s. If you want a fare shake, you had better get a defense lawyer that knows the judge as well as the DA. I have seen this in action. Impartiality is not at its best.
texas jewel
October 9, 2009
cilly bob are you REALLY saying you don’t know what a good ol boy is? I want to think your not that blind to the good ol system they call justice. and no all the examples you used are not considered to be good ol boys. they would be the low life, gun carrying,badge shielding,and in this instance robe wearing power abusing idiots that can change your life as fast as a blink of an eye knowing they are wrong and still sleep at night. and thats MORE than my 2 cents worth. But, I felt like writing today.
too familiar
October 9, 2009
well, silly bob.. i guess telling a woman to SHUT UP in a court room by an honorable judge, if she is just sitting there quietly is a little far fetched.. what ACTUALLY happened was the woman made a quiet gasp and said under her breath, “no, way..” after a witness made a blatant lie under oath against her. THEN scoggins yells “you be quiet! you shut up! if you can’t sit there without making facial gestures and sit there quietly, you need to leave the court room.” sorry for misleading you by leaving out the details..
Syd
October 21, 2009
Interesting but for a family with religious beliefs, this Judge shows no mercy for a child. We know !!!
The six year old boy is court ordered to visit (drug users..)
and spent the month of July returning unruly, to say the least…dirty and sick.
We are in the middle of it NOW.
waitin on karma
October 30, 2009
When your rights as an American are taken away by the Ellis county judicial system… your children’s rights to be protected are ignored by Ellis county cps… and calls regarding filing a report at the Ellis county Sheriff’s dept are never taken so the molesting grandmother isn’t arrested…
Sexual and physical abuse are crimes, perjury is a crime, lying on a legal document is a crime… This family with ties in Ellis co may get away with the laws of the land, but God knows our hearts, and this is all there is at this point.
FAITH in God increases, these people “in power” WILL answer for the pain and suffering of these children and families.
But there definitely needs to be a lot of changes, God willing!!
anthony nelson
October 30, 2009
Why isnt Mary Trost Helping?
waitin on karma
October 31, 2009
mary trost has not contacted the mother of the boys. when cps was asked how to reach her, she was told “i think you call the DA’s office”.. where is mary trost located???
anthony nelson
October 31, 2009
972-825-5214 da’s office
anthony nelson
October 31, 2009
Mary will hep you. She is at war with CPS.
waitin on karma
October 31, 2009
thank you.. anything for my boys.. i’ll go up against the devil himself
Joey G. Dauben
October 31, 2009
Did anyone else notice Channel 5 sometime last week and Scoggins being on TV? He let the cameras in the courtroom over some story about a reunion between family members or something.
Fortunately, there are a few stories coming out (through this blog mainly, but I know the ECP is working on one or two) about Scoggins’ actions bost present and past but very few remedies exist.
See, the game is if it hits print or I raise the issue on the blog and keep the heat on, then the changes will be made (and usually they are made), but why should We The People wait until I’ve emptied the chamber? Why can’t the changes be made prior to me loading?
(I’m speaking in metaphors, in case anyone was wondering…)
anthony nelson
October 31, 2009
What happened to the cps group that formed against cps and sara spector? Joey how can we get in touch with them? You know the one that slammed Sara Spector- Is there an address or a name or phone number for “waiten on karma”?
anthony nelson
November 1, 2009
Joey- was there neVer ab actual group? Give ths man a name so he can get some assistance. Word is that letter was written by Mark Griffith. Give up thr non profits info or you coud be sued for slander.
anthony nelson
November 1, 2009
Oh and it was published in the press as a news article- they are not judgment proof. There was no group youu lied.
JoeyGDauben
November 1, 2009
What in the world are you talking about?
What about some “group?” All I know is that Sara Spector had an enemies list a mile long when she used to work for the DA’s office as the CPS lawyer. I don’t know of any formal organization or group that existed or whatever, but there were a few families who came forward with their horror stories …and those were in fact published in the ECP.
But as far as some organized opposition, that I don’t know.
If victims of CPS abuse would like to contact other victims, send an e-mail to info@elliscountyobserver.com and we’ll forward it to the people who want to establish contact. That’s no problem there.
anthony nelson
November 1, 2009
this group: Where are they?
Family Rights Group Slams CPS’ Sara Spector
April 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Ellis County
19 Comments
There’s a pile of dirt on Sara Spector, the Child Protective Services lawyer who works for County/District Attorney Joe Grubbs. She has succeeded in multiple attempts at getting content on SaraSpector.com, a Web site URL that I bought after numerous attempts by her to silence me, this blog and The Ellis County Press, removed.
Now there’s a group locally coming out publicly against her:
[From: familyrights@ymail.com]
Sarah Spector is a crazy bitch! Where is all the info on her? How can someone so nuts be in charge of what happens to people’s kids? This woman tried to kill herself less then a year ago and yet there she sits allowed to act on behalf of the DA’s office and CPS! What is wrong with this town? Have you ever seen this crazy bitch in a court room? She has these wild eyes and she looks around the room like a mad women seeking approval from anyone. She is hated by all who know her. I have spoken to many that work with her and while they have plenty to say about her, none of it is good. They speak of her many mental break downs and the time she went crazy and hacked off her own hair and how they all consider her completely unstable. She was ran out of Waco for… big shocker… being crazy and her behavior affecting her job! Sarah will stop at nothing to get her way. She cares nothing about the welfare of the children involved in these cases only about her own selfish gain. She uses the courts to try to some how validate herself and make herself feel some kind of worth or importance to others. Im sorry but that is just screwed up and not what our justice system was designed for! There is not a single soul on this planet that cares about this woman. If she were to be diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer tomorrow no one would shed a single tear. She has no friends, no family, no one at all who cares if she lives or dies. Her own mother died completely ashamed of her. While this may make one feel kind of sorry for this witch you most know that she has caused all of her own grief. SEEK THERPY NOT REVENGE, you Looney bitch! She has a make believe boyfriend she tells people about (I mean like as in he is not real she completely made him up!)And she goes on and on about him and what little facts she offers about him continuously change. She had a 911 phone call made on her behalf last June because she was threatening suicide! Does this sound like a well woman to you?? And she has the nerve to walk around calling other people crazy or unstable! No wonder God never seen fit to bless her with a child and thank goodness he didn’t! I don’t even want to think about the horrors a child in her care might suffer. I believe this women would let a child die or even murder a child in CPS custody if she believed it would help her win a case or somehow make her look right. She has no problem breaking the law and what’s worse she truly feels she is above it. This woman has no business walking around free much less working as a lawyer. Shame on this county for covering up for her and for allowing her to still practice law! Evil has a face and a name… Sarah Spector! Mothers protect your children from her! No one is safe from her wrath of insanity!!
Note: I’ll probably end up re-launching SaraSpector.com when I can figure out a way to keep Spector from using her position to threaten and intimidate Web site hosting companies.
Tags: Family Rights Group Slams Sara Spector
anthony nelson
November 1, 2009
“family rights group”-that is a quote from your blog- they came out with an official paper against sara Spector. You were in contact with them. Can’t you get this man in contact with them?
waitin on karma
November 2, 2009
joey.. i guess i need to get the fire started.. ASAP! hope you’re ready!!!
Faithless
November 4, 2009
Besides my own personal experience with Judge Scoggins, I have heard several more very familiar stories coming out of his courtroom.
Don’t even think about using a lawyer that is unfamiliar to this judge. You will be shut out and your lawyer will be overruled and not allowed to get a word in. This judge has been long-time friends with several of the lawyers in town and it’s blatantly obvious to me that he is extremely biased in his rulings which are in favor of whoever is represented by one of his “friends”. To me, a judge or officer of the court whether in a big city or a small town, commits an act of “Conflict of Interest” if they have personal relationships with lawyers that are representing clients in front of them.
I lost custody after my ex and his new wife claimed that I did not make my boys bathe or brush their teeth enough. Really? Have you ever smelled an 8yo boy after he’s been outside playing? My ex has been investigated by CPS at least 3 different times. One of those times was before this custody case and was reported by my son’s school nurse. The judge prefers one particular group to do home studies for the court. To me that is extremely biased.
The stories I hear coming from his courtroom are that he is very biased against women that are involved in divorce or custody cases. Judge Scoggins doesn’t even have the guts to rule from the bench. Instead he chooses to send you a letter a week or so later telling you what he decided. To me that is unprofessional and weak.
Whether it’s his personal life drama, his religious affiliation, or his membership in any type of club, none of things should have any bearing on his rulings. They should be done on an individual case basis and done with the spirit in which the law was intended in mind.
Elizabeth
January 11, 2010
Until one personally experiences the corruption of cps and judges like the one
mentioned, they are blinded to the truth.
Their need to support their beliefs that what
they think is true, will block their ability to accept
it as otherwise.
Many families have been torn apart, many children
ripped out if the arms of a loving family because
of this belief that this system is all knowing
and trustworthy. It happens all of the time
judges siding with cps with no just cause.
It can happen to anyone and when it does
you are powerless to stop it.
We need to fight against putting judges in power
who perform in the manner described above.
These positions need to be filled with honorable
men such as Felipe Reyna. Integrity needs to
rule in the place of such tyrannical supremacy.
Egayle
January 13, 2010
Do you all realize that this judge Al Scoggins in the 378th district, is trying to run in the primaries against the reputable judge Felipe Reyna for the 10th court of appeals?
Justice
January 20, 2010
Faithless
From personal experience he’s not biased against just women. He screwed me on a residence restriction by letting my daughter and her mother move to Oklahoma with her new husband then back to Texas and a year later let her take my daughter to Florida. That court is a joke and he does have his favorite lawyer buddies who he has breakfast with and goes on vacations with as well.
The ex’s attorney offices just across the street from Scoggins who he vacations with and the guy who does the social studies offices on the square as well. Isn’t that convenient. The social study guy got all the facts wrong and left out all the emails I gave him so that blew any chance of a positive outcome in the hearing we had scheduled. I gave up after that. He didn’t call me once to confirm any of the facts. He has a monopoly on social studies down there so why would he go against Scoggins. I tried to file a complaint with the State but they don’t regulate and said I would have to file with the same court.
Yep I got those same letters. He didn’t even have the balls to look me in the eyes before he shattered all hopes of me having frequent contact with my daughter. And for the record I always exercised my visitation before this, I don’t have any kind of criminal record, college educated/white collar and all my daughter’s family on both sides live in DFW.
There is no law in Ellis County just “good ol boys and girls” taking care of their friends.
Faithless ( in Ellis Co Court)
January 20, 2010
I know there’s so many he screwed besides me.. I run into other victims almost every day and hear the same story time and time again. Joey.. Where do we go from here?
JoeyGDauben
January 20, 2010
To answer your question, keep posting this stuff. Keep it coming. Tell your friends and the people you hear and run into with similar stories to go to http://www.EllisCountyO.com and drop my name: Joey G. Dauben.
Keep this shit stirred up…
no justice
January 28, 2012
i must say i supprised to some one say juge scoggins is biast against mothers. I am a Father that went thru a custody hearing in his courtroom. After my ex wife sat on his bench and told him she was hearing voices, smoking dope, and has a history of trying to commit suicide. She still won custody of my kids. I dont know if he thaught that was the right right thing to do because i enlisted in the Texas Army National Gaurd or what. Now that i am deployed to Afghanistan my ex is trying to take me back to court on some bogus charges.. I must say “Justice” in Judge Scoggins Court room was hard for me to find.