Houston judge denies alleged courtroom assault

Candidate Screening County Criminal Court 10 Lee Harper Wilson (D) Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, in Houston. Candidate Screening County Criminal Court 10 Lee Harper Wilson (D) Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, in Houston. Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Houston judge denies alleged courtroom assault 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Harris County judge is under investigation by Houston police for allegedly assaulting the legal assistant of a defense attorney in his courtroom this week, a police spokesman confirmed Friday.

Criminal Court at Law #10 Judge Lee Harper Wilson, who presides over misdemeanor criminal cases, is accused of walking down from the bench and physically grabbing the woman to move her out of an area in the courtroom typically reserved for attorneys.

The incident left the woman with bruises on her arm, said her attorney, Thuy Le.

“My client is very upset about being assaulted in court Tuesday,” said Le, who represents the woman. “We are cooperating fully with HPD and their investigation.”

The judge, who has been on the bench in the days after the alleged incident but declined to comment, is now referring questions to his attorney, James Stafford.

"He absolutely denies any wrongdoing," Stafford said Monday. Stafford said he is investigating the allegations and said he and Wilson would cooperate with HPD's investigation..

The Houston Police Department’s major offenders squad is investigating a judge for an alleged assault during a court session, spokesman Victor Senties said Friday, but police did not identify the judge or courtroom.

The police report — portions of which are routinely available under Texas law — has been classified as “confidential,” Senties said, declining to comment further.

The Houston Chronicle has filed a request under the state’s open records laws for the public portions of the report.

Judge Darrell Jordan, presiding judge of the County Criminal Courts at Law, confirmed in a brief email Friday that the state agency in Austin that monitors Texas judges has been notified.

“Earlier this week we were made aware Judge Wilson allegedly assaulted a legal assistant,” he said. “I immediately gathered information and submitted it to the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct as required by the judicial canons.”

The incident has been the talk of Houston’s legal community for days. A number of attorneys witnessed the interaction during a busy public session in the courtroom Tuesday, Le said.

Le is representing the woman, who is employed as an assistant to a different attorney. That lawyer did not see the alleged assault.

Le declined to comment further, saying that she would speak in-depth after the investigation wraps up.

Wilson is one of the many Democratic judges swept into office in the November election. He is one of 16 judges in Harris County who preside over misdemeanor cases, such as DWIs, domestic violence and assaults.

The Chronicle endorsed Wilson’s candidacy, and the veteran attorney said his commitment to help youth was his main reason for running for the bench. He’s board certified in criminal law, a graduate of the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and championed bail reform efforts.

brian.rogers@chron.com