County court-at-law judge Reagan Helm has resigned, the Houston Chronicle is reporting; the move comes right before a hearing in which prosecutors sought to remove him from 74 cases because of comments he had made belittling domestic-violence cases.

The motion, filed last year by the DAs office, says Helm had a general pattern of telling men accused of domestic violence that their accusers had them "by the balls." Which, if you're a woman who's been beaten up by a husband, is probably not what you want to be hearing from the judge in your case.

Helm also mocked one woman, the motion said, for filing an emergency protective order against a guy he apparently deemed not too intimidating. "He looks like a real killer to me. You're telling me you are afraid of him?" Helm reportedly said.

Helm, a Republican who's been on the misdemeanor-court bench since 1994, denied he had demeaned women or acted in any way that would harm their cases.



His resignation letter to commissioners court cited his age: he turns 70 soon.