Texas Judicial Commission Reprimands Amber King for Failing to Follow Law in 2022 Contempt Orders
On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly reprimanded Amber King, Justice of the Peace, in Mentone, Loving County, for failing to comply with the law and maintain professional competence. The reprimand stems from a review of allegations concerning King's conduct during jury qualification proceedings on May 25, 2022.
The case is entitled "In the Matter of Judge Amber King," with case nos. 22-1490,22-1533,22-1547 & 22-1616.
On the aforementioned date, four individuals—Matthew Jones, William Carr, Ysidro Renteria, and Becky Hill—appeared in court in response to a jury summons. Although no specific case was called, King proceeded to qualify the jury panel.
During this process, she warned the jury pool that they could leave if they were not qualified jurors, or face charges of aggravated perjury and contempt of court. After swearing in the jury pool, King stated that several jurors were not residents of the county and, having not left, would be held in contempt.
Subsequently, King named the four individuals, had them arrested, and transported them to the Winkler County Detention Center without notice or a hearing. She then entered Orders for Direct Contempt, citing the individuals' refusal to comply with a court order, though the specific order was not identified. Later that day, modified orders were issued, stating the individuals would be held until 5:00 p.m.
Following these actions, Jones, Renteria, and Carr filed a Writ of Mandamus, which was granted by the Loving County Court. The court found that King had abused her discretion and failed to comply with due process, leading to the vacating of the contempt orders.
The commission's findings also highlighted that King had been involved in an election contest lawsuit after losing her bid for Justice of the Peace in 2022. During her deposition in that case, King admitted to intending to have the four individuals arrested the day before their summons, jailing them without regard for due process or evidence, and using her personal definition of residency to determine perjury. She also admitted to deleting information from her county computer and email after a request to preserve evidence.
The commission determined that King's actions, including her personal definition of residency, the immediate arrest of individuals without due process, the failure to identify the violated court order, and the deletion of evidence, constituted willful and persistent conduct inconsistent with her judicial duties.
These actions, in the commission's view, cast public discredit upon the judiciary and the administration of justice, violating multiple canons of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct and the Texas Constitution. The commission took this action to protect the public and promote confidence in the judicial system.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
