I keep coming back to one question after reading the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct’s public admonition against Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra—
Did he actually understand what the problem was?
Because his public response to the ruling makes it feel like the answer is no.
Earlier this month, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished Becerra for violating judicial ethics rules related to his use of social media to promote businesses and events.[1]
The commission concluded that he violated Canon 2B and Canon 4A(1) of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct — rules that exist specifically to prevent judges from using the prestige of their office to benefit private interests or create the appearance of favoritism.[1]
This wasn’t about a single harmless Facebook shoutout to a taco shop.
According to reporting from the San Antonio Express-News, the commission cited repeated posts promoting businesses and events tied to Becerra, his family, and close associates.[2]
That included:
repeated promotion of Gil’s Broiler & The Manske Roll Bakery,
repeated promotion of the “Classic Rides on El Camino Real” car show,
promotion of Dapper Cave Barbershop,
and repeated use of judicial-branded social media accounts while doing it.[2]
The reporting states the commission found Becerra promoted the car show 46 separate times.[2]
Forty-six.
And this is where I think some people are missing the point of the ethics ruling entirely.
The issue is not whether local businesses deserve support. Of course they do. Most of us support local businesses. Most of us want thriving community spaces and local culture and small businesses that survive.
The issue is whether a sitting county judge should be using the authority and visibility of judicial office to elevate specific private businesses and commercial events.
That standard exists for a reason.
Judges are not influencers. They are not chambers of commerce. They are not lifestyle brands.
The ethical concern is about appearance, access, favoritism, and public trust.
And then came Becerra’s Facebook response.
In this post, he defended himself by saying he has “always believed in supporting our local businesses and community organizations” and that his intent was never to advertise or provide special treatment.
Okay.
But then — immediately after saying that — he posted a giant list of businesses and organizations by name.
Again.
Restaurants. Breweries. Shops. Insurance agencies. Construction companies. Event groups.
Including businesses already tied to the ethics controversy.
At some point it stops feeling like misunderstanding and starts feeling like defiance.
And I think that’s why this whole thing matters beyond one Facebook post or one ethics complaint.
Because this is part of a broader pattern where public office, branding, business promotion, politics, and personal relationships all start blending together until nobody can tell where one ends and the other begins.
That’s exactly the kind of thing judicial ethics rules are supposed to prevent.
And honestly, the most striking part of all this to me is that the commission already gave him the answer.
The state literally told him:
You cannot use the prestige of judicial office this way.
And his response was basically:
Actually, let me list some more businesses.
Supporters will say this is community engagement.
Critics will say it’s inappropriate promotion.
But regardless of where people land politically, I think most reasonable people can agree on this:
If the ethics commission publicly admonishes a judge for repeatedly promoting businesses on social media, and the judge’s public response is to immediately promote more businesses on social media, it at least raises the question of whether the lesson landed at all.
Sources
[1] Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 2B and Canon 4A(1)
https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1461500/texas-code-of-judicial-conduct.pdf
[2] San Antonio Express-News — “Hays County judge violated conduct code, commission says”
https://www.expressnews.com/hill-country/article/hays-county-judge-conduct-code-violation-22244569.php
[3] Hays Free Press — “State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonishes Hays County Judge”
https://www.haysfreepress.com/article/26379,state-commission-on-judicial-conduct-publicly-admonishes-hays-county-judge
[4] Texas Ethics Commission sworn complaint records
https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/data/enforcement/sworn_complaints/2021/3210343.pdf