State commission suspends Angelina County judge without pay

ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - The State Commission on Judicial Conduct has suspended Angelina County Judge Don Lymbery without pay in relation to his alleged violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act.

The order of suspension, signed at 5 p.m. Friday, March 11 by Commission Chair David Schenck, cites Lymbery’s indictment on one charge of violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct is the agency that oversees judges in the state. The Texas Constitution gives it the power to discipline and even remove judges in cases of misconduct or incompetence.

Judge Meydon “Don” Lymbery, Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Paulette, and Pct. 4 Commissioner Michael Steve Smith were booked into the county jail on Saturday after Friday’s indictments were handed down.

Lymbery’s indictment states that “on or about the 9th day of August, 2021 ... did then and there, as a member of a governmental body, to-wit: the Angelina County Commissioners’ Court, knowingly participate in a meeting in violation of Title 5 Subtitle A Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code ... by participating in a meeting that constituted a quorum of the Commissioners Court for the purpose of discussion or deliberation of county business to-wit: namely the prospective employment of a county road engineer.”

“Oh I was shocked. There was absolutely nothing… I would never ever, ever violate the trust for this office and I know the rules,” Lymbery told KTRE 9 in an interview published in Oct. 27, 2021. “And in my way of looking at the rules the way they’re written we had not violated anything because I explained to them that there would be no county business discussed while I was in here.”

The order of suspension will remain in effect until the charges against Judge Lymbery are dismissed, Lymbery is acquitted, or upon further order of the commission, the order states.

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