On Thursday, April 3, 2025, the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished Judge Crystal Duke, Roxton Municipal Court, in Roxton, Lamar County, for failing to meet mandatory judicial education requirements. The decision, finalized during the commission’s meeting on February 5, 2025, also included an order for Duke to complete additional training.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Crystal Duke,” with case number 25-0202.
According to the commission’s findings, Duke completed only one of the required 16 hours of judicial education for the 2023-2024 academic year, as reported by the Texas Municipal Court Education Center. The academic year runs from September 1 to August 31. Duke did not request a waiver for the unmet requirement.
In her written response to the commission, Duke explained that she was unable to attend a scheduled training in June 2024 because she needed to provide round-the-clock care for her mother-in-law. She further noted that a lack of internet access at her mother-in-law’s residence prevented her from applying for a waiver.
The commission determined that Duke’s failure to complete the required education violated several standards. These include Canon 2A of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, which requires judges to comply with the law and maintain public confidence in the judiciary’s integrity. Additionally, Canon 3B(2) mandates that judges maintain professional competence in the law. The commission also cited Article V, Section 1-a(6)A of the Texas Constitution, which prohibits willful or persistent conduct that undermines judicial duties or discredits the judiciary. Rules of Judicial Education, specifically Rule 5a(2), require municipal court judges to complete 16 hours of instruction annually through the Texas Municipal Court Education Center.
As a result of these findings, the commission ordered Duke to undertake one hour of additional education with a mentor, beyond her standard annual training for the 2025 fiscal year. This extra hour will focus on her responsibility to fulfill judicial education requirements as a municipal court judge. The Texas Municipal Court Education Center will assign a mentor to guide Duke, and she must complete the training within 60 days of receiving notification of the mentor’s assignment. Duke is responsible for contacting the mentor to schedule the session.
The commission’s action was authorized under Article V, Section 1-a(8) of the Texas Constitution, which empowers it to discipline judges to protect public trust in the judicial system. To facilitate the mentorship process, the commission permitted the disclosure of relevant details to the Texas Municipal Court Education Center.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
