Lawsuit requesting county judge’s removal denied

A lawsuit calling for the removal of Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra was ruled in his favor on Oct. 15, denying the plaintiff’s request for his removal and citation.

Plaintiff Nathan Kaspar filed the lawsuit in September and alleged that Becerra accepted two stipends of $25,000 each for judicial functions he did not perform. It also alleged that he tampered with or falsified a governmental record or made a false statement under oath.

The Texas Government Code Section 26.006, states that a County Judge is entitled to an annual salary supplement from the state that is 18% of the state base salary paid to a district judge if at least 40% of the functions that the judge performs are judicial functions.