A notable Texas judge, Sharon Kelly has been charged with five counts of professional misdemeanour during the ruling of a death sentence case of detainee, Michael Wayne Richard.

Judge Keller infamously hailed as ‘Sharon Killer’, has gone on trial, indicted of declining the lawyers eleventh-hour plea for a culpable murderer, Michael who was on death row, being charged with sexual attack and slaying of a woman two decades ago. The convict Michael was executed three hours later with the assistance of a fatal injection, becoming the 26^th in line to face execution in Texas this year.

Michael’s lawyers contend that Judge Keller purposefully instructed the courthouse to shut down at 5 p.m., with full knowledge that a final plea was in the offing. They further added that prior to Michael’s planned execution dating September 2007 they attempted to lodge a plea with the leading judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Judge Kelly. However, all their desperate attempts were impeded due to computer malfunctions and when they called up the court to appeal for more time period, they were sternly told that court shuts down at 5p.m.

It is a general practice of keeping the courthouse open in death penalty cases, though the clerk’s office hours are till 5p.m. Chip Babcock has defended Judge Keller by proclaiming that there has been a major misunderstanding among the words ‘court’ and ‘clerk’, stating that there is always someone present to fill the place after 5p.m.

If Judge Kelly is found blameworthy, she could be demoted thus losing her spot on the State Appeals Court that could have a disastrous effect on her career.