Following the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct’s public admonition of former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, Jackson Walker partner Chip Babcock spoke with Texas Lawyer about the sanctions and how they may violate the First Amendment.

“Under the First Amendment, and Article I of the Texas Constitution, you can’t regulate good tastes,” Chip said. “Many people—perhaps most people—would find some or all of this speech to be offensive, but that doesn’t give the state the right to tell people they can’t say those things—even judges.”

To read more about sanctions brought against Eckhardt, view the Texas Lawyer article (subscription required).

Meet Chip

Houston partner Charles L. Babcock is a nationally recognized trial and appellate attorney. Chip’s practice experience includes bet-the-company litigation, First Amendment litigation, commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, government investigations, media litigation, and appellate litigation. In addition to receiving the Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation, Chip has been named a “25 Greatest Texas Lawyer of the Past Quarter Century” by Texas Lawyer and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.