Hecht Votes with Mega-Donors to his Personal Legal Fund 89% of the Time
Texas Watch—July 17th, 2007
Justice Nathan Hecht accepted contributions of at least $5,000 to his legal defense fund from 17 parties with cases decided in the months immediately after he was actively soliciting contributions to cover his legal expenses.
In all signed opinions issued since March, Justice Hecht sided with these large donors to his personal legal defense fund a staggering 89% of time. In only one case of the nine cases involving parties who contributed to his defense did Hecht vote against the interests of his donors.
“Where do Justice Hecht’s loyalties lie – with the law or with the polluters and special interests that bankrolled his personal legal defense?” asked Alex Winslow, Executive Director of Texas Watch, a non-profit consumer research organization that monitors the Texas Supreme Court. “At virtually every opportunity Justice Hecht sided with entities that have covered his personal legal bills. This raises serious questions about his ability to be impartial.”
One case in particular drew the attention of numerous donors to Justice Hecht’s legal defense fund. Law firms which donated a total of $30,000 to Hecht’s legal defense represented chemical companies and polluters with an interest in the outcome of In re Allied Chemical Corporation. The case involved the ability of individuals exposed to dangerous fumes and leaks from pesticide mixing and storage sites to hold dozens of chemical companies accountable for the dangers they created.
In another case, Justice Hecht sided with the self-styled Texans for Lawsuit “Reform” in a case that shielded liquor store operators from accountability when they sell alcohol to obviously intoxicated customers. In FFP Operating Partners v. Duenez, TLR filed a brief supporting the liquor industry and drunk drivers over the interests of responsible drivers and their families.
Hecht continues to thumb his nose at questions about his ability to be impartial. He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “I was just gratified that people were willing to help.”
“Justice Hecht either doesn’t understand or doesn’t care about the seriousness of his actions,” said Winslow. “Justice Hecht’s cavalier attitude is an insult to all Texans who expect our judges to act with the highest ethical standards.”
Click here to see a list of Justice Hecht’s mega-donors involved in cases recently decided by the Texas Supreme Court.
