Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, February 10, 1989 Page: 3 of 28
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This Week
NEWS 3
Dallas Gay Alliance organizes local
attorneys, who filed court papers
yesterday requesting the removal of
State District Judge Jack Hampton.
FOCUS 5
A look at the problems of gay parent-
ing on the eve of a Dallas conference
for gay/lesbian parents.
BOOKS 7
An interview with gay author David
Leavitt, and a review of his new book,
‘Equal Affections. ’
CALENDAR 10
Events scheduled over the next ten
days; Announcements; Theater open-
ings; Bowling standings.
FILM 12
Older, fatter but wiser — self -portrait
by Burt Reynolds.
LIFESTYLE 14
A fun, fab, fetching report on last
month’s Gay Ski Week in Aspen, Colo.
THEATER 18
A talk with the director of Noel
Coward's ‘Private Lives’fthe all-male
production opens tonight at Theater
Gemini); A review of ‘The Boys Next
Door’ at DTC.
GOSSIP 22
Get a fender bender in last week’s
snow and ice? You aren’t the only
one, according to Heda's list.
DALLAS
VOICE
THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FOR GAY AND LESBIAN DALLAS
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY VOICE PUBLISHING CO.. INC
521-3230
521-3239
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Dennis Vercher
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lames Crook
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DALLAS VOICE
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DALLAS. TX 75219
Paid advertising copy represents the claim(s) of the
advertiser False or misleading information should be brought
to the attention of the editor
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care in their handling We cannot, however, guarantee their
safe return.
Attorneys ask Supreme
Court to remove judge
JUDGE HAMPTON TARGETED IN PAPERS TO BE FILED TUESDAY IN AUSTIN
By DENNIS VERCHER
A t least fourteen local attorneys
organized by the Dallas Gay
Alliance have filed papers in a
Dallas state district courtroom
requesting that State District Judge Jack
Hampton be removed from office.
The request cites an obscure provision of
the Texas Constitution which allows the state
Supreme Court to remove judges accused of
misconduct. Thursday’s request is indepen
dent of a separate inquiry being conducted by
the State Commission on Judicial Conduct,
which commenced its investigation of Hamp
ton last month.
Hampton ignited the controversy in Dec
ember when he acknowledged that he
sentenced the convicted killer of two gay men
to a lesser sentence than he might otherwise
have imposed, because the victims were gay
men whom Hampton accused of “cruising
the streets . . . picking up teenage boys.”
Trial testimony did not establish that the
victims had offered to engage in sex with the
killer, 19-year-old Richard Lee Bednarski.
Bednarski testified that he had taken the pair
to a secluded setting in an attempt to settle a
debt he said the men owed.
But Hampton said he considered it “pretty
clear" that the men were going “into the
bushes for some oral sex.”
Thirteen attorneys signed the document,
which is being held by State District Judge
Ron Chapman of Dallas, at a counroom
session Thursday morning. Later Thursday,
another attorney had signed the petition
calling for Hampton’s ouster.
Chapman said he would hold the docu
ment until Monday in case other attorneys
wished to sign it. He is then expected to
forward the request to the Texas Supreme
Court, which is empowered to remove
Hampton from office if it so decides.
“Today’s presentment [see shaded box—
ed.) for removal of Judge Hampton is not an
attempt to create a constitutional challenge
for the State of Texas’ Supreme Court, but to
exhaust all readily-available remedies that
exist,” stated Dallas Gay Alliance president
William Waybourn. “Completing this action
today represents a bold and courageous step
on the part of these participants — many of
‘To do nothing only
continues to make us the
victims — and only
encourages further the
ignorance, prejudice and
violence that
accompanied Richard
Bednarski on his trip to
Oak Lawn that night,
when he murdered
Tommy Lee Trimble and
John Lloyd Griffin.”
— WILLIAM WAYBOURN
PRESIDENT. DALLAS GAY ALLIANCE
whom earn their living by practicing law in
Judge Hampton's courtroom "
Several mainstream attorneys joined black,
Hispanic and gay lawyers in signing the
removal request. Waybourn said late Thurs
day that up to 20 attorneys are expected to
sign the request before it is forwarded to the
state Supreme Court.
The request cites Article 15, Section 6 of the
Texas Constitution, and argues that Hamp
ton’s removal is required because his pub
licized statements about sentencing Bednar
ski allegedly violate Canons one, two and
The Complaint
....................
In re Hampton, Jsck, Dbtrtd Judge, 283rd
Stole District Court of Deltas County.
In th* Supr*m# Court o# th« Stole of Texet
PRESENTMENT FOR REMOVAL OF
STATE DISTRICT JUDGE
To the honorable Justice* ot toe Supreme
Court of Texes:
The undersigned attorneys, who practice
In the state district courts of DeSa* County,
Texas, and are each licensed to practice in
the Supreme Court of Texas, do hereby
respectfully petition and present to the
Supreme Court ot Texas, in accordance
with the provisions of Article 15, Section 8
of the Texas Constitution, a request for
removal from office of Judge Jack Hampton
of the 283rd Judicial District Court ot Da Eta*
County; said presentment founded upon
their Information and belief of the following
particulars, to wit
On or about December 15,1888, as
reported In toe Dallas Time* Herald ot
December 16,1988 ... Judge Hampton
commented, In a rather lengthy interview,
on various aspects of a criminal trial to
which he sentenced toe defendant therein,
Richard Lee Bednarski, for the murder of
two men on or about November 28, 1988. In
the Interview Judge Hampton said Inter alia:
1. "These two guys that got ktHed
wouldn't have been kitted if they hadn't
been cruising toe streets picking up teenage
boys;"
2. “I don't care much tor queers running
around on weekends picking up teenage
boys. I’ve got s teenage boy;”
end 3. "t put prostitutes and gays at about
the same level. If these boys had picked up
two prostitutes and taken them to the
woods and killed them, I'd consider that a
similar case.”
These remarks by Judge Hampton violate
Carton One, Canon Two and Canon Three
oi (he Code ol Judicial Conduct as
promulgated and subsequently amended by
this Honorable Texas Supreme Court. Ws
believe that Judge Hampton cannot be fair
and impartial and should be removed from
office.
We request this honorable court review
the attachment hereto sworn to by toe
undersigned attorneys and remove the Hon.
Jack Hampton Irom office.
WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED,
we, the undersigned attorneys Bcensed to
practice before the Supreme Court and
courts of this Stole, do hereby pray that this
Honorable Court will remove Judge Jack
Hampton from the office of the Judgeship of
the 283rd Judicial District Court of Delias,
Texas.
(Attorneys' signatures foBow)
three of the Code of Judicial Conduct.
The latest move is expected to add pres-
sure on Hampton to resign, although the
judge has stated he intends to complete his
frill term of office, which expires in 1990.
“Imagine, if you will, young people of
today who read Judge Hampton's remarks,
and who believe it allows them a green light
to justify and commit heinous crimes against
other persons,” Waybourn said. “To do noth
ing only continues to make us the victims
—and only encourages further the ignorance,
prejudice and violence that accompanied
Richard Bednarski on his trip to Oak Lawn
that night, when he murdered Tommy Lee
Trimble and lohn Uoyd Griffin.” ▼
3
TIE DALLAS VOICE 'EIRUAAY II. lilt
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 41, Ed. 1 Friday, February 10, 1989, newspaper, February 10, 1989; Dallas, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth615625/m1/3/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.