A case has been thrown out after the unconstitutional behavior of a Texas judge resulted in the mistrial of a man accused of soliciting sex from an underage girl.
Judge George Gallagher ordered his bailiff to shock defendant Terry Lee Morris with a stun belt multiple times after Morris pleaded the 5th, asked the judge to recuse himself, and then described that he had a mental illness.
A stun belt is a device normally used on high risk defendants deemed a potential for violent outbursts or flight attempts during trial. The belt works like an amplified shock collar, jolting the wearer with 50,000 volts over an 8 second period. Stun belts have been ruled constitutional, but only if a defendant can be proven to show being high risk. The Texas Jstices have said that this was not factually proven with Morris, and that Gallagher violated his 6th Amendment due process rights.
Morris's public defender did not object because he said his client appeared angry, and that he believed his client was faking his reaction after being shocked.
Gallagher has refused to comment on WaPo's reporting, citing "judicial ethics". I guess electroshock therapy for not answering questions doesn't fall under that purview though.