Hillsborough County (Fl.) Judge Eric Myers is now on the other side of the bench after an arrest for alleged domestic violence and an order to stay away from his wife and daughter. The arrest occurred on Saturday morning and Myers’ wife, Shirley Sanchez-Myers, 40, petitioned the court for protection over the weekend. She says that the judge beat her as their young daughter pleaded “Daddy stop hitting mommy.” Myers is the former head prosecutor overseeing drug cases in the county.
His wife charged that Myers, 58, beat her around 9 p.m. on Friday into unconsciousness and left her in their home in Odessa with their 5-year-old daughter. She describes an attack where Myers “slapped” and “punched” in the face and head and caused her “to black out and lose consciousness.” He was not arrested until around 2 am when Hillsborough sheriff’s deputies picked him up at the downtown Tampa courthouse where he works. Police say that he admitted to slapping her and hitting her once but with an open palm. However, his wife says that the police have pictures of bruised, bumps, and hair falling out from her head.
This is Judge Myers’ third wife and two prior divorces.
Myers hears misdemeanor and traffic cases and was appointed to the bench in 2000 by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Before that appointment, he was an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough and served as chief of the felony drug division.
Source: Tampa Bay
The most recent postings are indicative of the pervasive attitude of our society on the issue of domestic violence. Talk about it for second, sweep under the rug, then go on to other, less lethal or relevant subjects.
1 in every 4 women will experience domestic violence. Almost daily, stories appear where a wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, ex’s in the categories above, children, be they of that relationship or not, family members, even law enforcement agents either responding to a call or trying to serve papers are murdered in these types of situations. Also they daily assaults which may require hospitalization and they deep emotional and psychological scars that may never heal.
Other than rapes, crimes related to domestic situations are the most underrepor for a myriad of reasons. I don’t know whether this man did this crime, but both perpetrators and the systems which adjudicate their matters must be held accountable by society in order to eradicate this epidemic.
Good grief…appointments, even judicial elections, can always be questioned or go south. President Reagan appointed Eric Holder to a judgeship in 1988…by way of example. None-the-less I haven’t heard that Holder, who can mess up a one car funeral procession, and has a distorted view of race relations, thumps his wife or girl buddies. Appointments, at best, are merely a best guess. “Litmus tests” only establish who is the better liar.
What’s the excuse when Democrats run amuck? Filner headlock? All those Democratic politicians arrested lately? Is it because they were Democrats, as your remark indicated that all GOPers are bad people? Or is it because politics in general seems to attract people of a certain moral plasticity?
It’s so disappointing when someone in a trusted position breaks the law, be it a doctor, police officer, or judge.
Oh, for heavens sake, now every Republican in Texas is racist. What a prejudiced remark. But, denial does not recognize itself . . .
Is there a reason everything becomes political here? If there has never been any sign of this behavior, I doubt it matters who he voted for. Perhaps he has a mental problem.
When I first started reading this blog it was educational to hear varieties of legal opinion. I was disappointed in Mr. Turley’s comments about deflated footballs. There seems to be a lot of he’s guilty before the trial.
Also, for those who want to rant and rave about wars,metc., this isn’t the place.
Noted Nick; just wanted to see it in full bloom. 🙂
Olly, Our pilot has a well documented case of BDS. You won’t get that time back.
Olly, I stand corrected. I have the self esteem to admit a mistake. Thanks. And, I’m not paranoid, seeing people walking past my house. LOL!!!
Oh chrissake, LOL! I guess it’s too hard to do a bit of research first before commenting, fer chrissake!
Nick,
His own profile shows he was appointed by Jeb Bush in 2000. Do you have something to prove otherwise?
randyjet,
What is your citation that Bush had any knowledge that this was the true character of this man? Something as simple as what you’ve demonstrated to be your true character.
Olly, I of course have no personal knowledge that Jeb knew of the nasty nature of his appointee, BUT I DO know the character of those in Texas who have become GOPers. All of the segregationists. KKKers, folks who used to call me a nigger lover are now in that party. Along with the careerists, party hacks, corrupt individuals, and the like, they constitute the overwhelming bulk of the GOP. In Texas the first thing the GOP has announced is to get rid of the Pubic Integrity unit of the Travis County DA. Even under the Democratic party’s reign when the speaker was actively being pursued by the office, they did not have the outlandish temerity to get rid of it. So given my experience with the GOP here in a similar southern state to FL, I think that it is a good bet that similar things are happening in FL, and from all the news I have seen, it is true. Thus given Jeb’s history, I have to say even if he knew the guys history, it would NOT be disqualifying.
randyjet – since the avowed objective of the Public Integrity Unit is to attack the GOP why are you surprised they are attacking back?
Domestic violence does not have a job description. It is rarely taken seriously by many in this society who do not account violence against women and children within the family to be a crime.
It is a crime. Studies show that when perpetrators know that justice will be swift and certain, even if the time served is not long, they will stop.
This same principle would apply to the police who abuse our citizens and the wealthy war and financial criminals wreaking havoc in our society. They all have one thing in common– they correctly understand they are above the law. The moment this is no longer true is the moment when we will start to restore justice to our society.
For chrissake, judges are ELECTED in Florida, not appointed.
I see why he got the job. Just Jeb’s kind of guy! They will not do anything except give him his guns back.
It’s Florida, he will get a week’s suspension.
There goes the judge.
There goes the judge.
There goes the judge.
There goes the judge.