On Thursday, June 6, 2024, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished former Judge Marina Chavez-Soto of the El Paso Municipal Court.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Marina Chavez-Soto,” with case number 24-0167.
According to findings by the Commission, Judge Chavez-Soto failed to fulfill her mandatory continuing legal education requirements for the 2022-2023 academic year. As a municipal court judge in Texas, she was obligated to complete at least 16 hours of judicial training through the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center each year. Evidence indicated that Judge Chavez-Soto did not satisfy this obligation in the relevant time period. She also did not apply for a waiver of the rule.
In addition, when the Commission opened an investigation and requested a response through letters in December 2023 and February 2024, Judge Chavez-Soto did not provide any responses to address the allegations. By that time, records showed she had resigned from her position on the El Paso Municipal Court in January 2024. However, she still failed to cooperate with the Commission’s lawful inquiry by not responding to multiple attempts at communication.
The Commission determined Judge Chavez-Soto’s actions violated several professional standards for judicial conduct. Her lack of ongoing legal education did not uphold her duty to maintain competence in the law under the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct. Similarly, her refusal to reply to the Commission constituted willful conduct inconsistent with judicial duties, as outlined in the Texas Constitution. State rules also required judges to complete mandatory hours of training or seek a waiver.
In issuing the public admonishment, the Commission stated it was authorized to take such action under the Texas Constitution in order to protect the public and promote trust in the justice system.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
