A Harris County judge has been publicly warned by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct over her handling of four child sex crime cases and other conduct the commission said violated judicial ethics rules.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 3:36AMA Harris County judge has been publicly warned by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct over her handling of four child sex crime cases and other conduct the commission said violated judicial ethics rules.
The commission issued the sanction against Judge Melissa Morris, calling her actions "willful and persistent" and saying they cast "public discredit on the judiciary or on the administration of justice.
" According to the commission's findings, Morris improperly ended probation early for four sex offenders who pleaded guilty to crimes involving children and were required to register as sex offenders. The commission also found Morris failed to be "patient, dignified, and courteous" toward a prosecutor who requested hearings to reconsider her rulings and breached grand jury secrecy by forwarding confidential information to a defense attorney.
In its three-page public warning, the commission concluded Morris violated judicial ethics rules and damaged public confidence in the judiciary. The public warning is one of the more serious sanctions issued by the commission, though it does not remove Morris from the bench. She will continue presiding over the 263rd District Court and can appeal the sanction. This is not the first controversy involving Morris.
Last year, the Harris County District Attorney's Office sought to remove her from a possible retrial in a domestic violence shooting case, arguing her comments and facial expressions showed bias against victims. Another judge denied that request. In response to the latest allegations, Morris told the commission her mistakes were not intentional or made in bad faith. She acknowledged the grand jury breach was a single mistake made as a "novice jurist," the records state. Morris is running for reelection in November.
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