Little-known state agency causes controversy as chief judge forces resignation

[TexasTowelie]

By Cat Cardenas, Texas Tribune

When it comes to Texas agencies, the State Office of Administrative Hearings operates in relative obscurity. Ask the average person what the office does, and he or she probably won’t have an answer.

But the office, whose judges preside over disputes involving state agencies, made headlines this year when an administrative judge was forced to resign after presiding over a case involving the Texas Medical Board.

The chief judge who forced that resignation is now taking fire from people, including administrative law experts and her predecessor, who say her actions threaten the agency's independence. But the judge, Lesli Ginn, says she was justified in asking for the judge’s resignation.

The controversy is brewing as Gov. Greg Abbott considers whether to reappoint the chief judge to another two-year term — or opt for someone new.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/05/18/little-known-state-agency-causes-controversy-chief-judge-forces-resign/