Restraining order for judge in beating video

McALLEN, Texas - A Texas family law judge seen beating his older daughter in a video she posted on YouTube has been placed under a temporary restraining order, and his ex-wife's attorney said Friday it effectively prevents him from visiting his younger daughter.

Under the order issued Thursday by another judge, Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams is forbidden from visiting his 10-year-old daughter without getting permission from the girl's mother, his ex-wife. The order also says Adams can't disparage the woman or drink alcohol within 24 hours of seeing his child.

Brett Pritchard, the attorney for Adams' ex-wife Hallie Adams, said in a prepared statement that the ruling "temporarily terminates the visitation between Judge Adams and his younger child."

William Adams' attorney did not respond to a request for comment Friday from The Associated Press.

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State District Judge Kemper Stephen Williams scheduled a hearing for Nov. 21 to decide on Hallie Adams' request to have William Adams' visitation denied or require that it be supervised. William Adams has not held court since his 23-year-old daughter Hillary Adams released a secretly-recorded 2004 video of him beating her with a belt.

William Adams faced public calls for his resignation and threats after Hillary Adams posted the 8-minute clip on YouTube that shows her father viciously lashing her with a belt and trying to force her to bend over her bed to be beaten despite her pleas to stop.

Hallie Adams filed an affidavit Thursday claiming a dysfunctional 22-year marriage and conflict that continued since their 2007 divorce. Pritchard said the furious reaction to the video triggered the legal move.

"The impetus is she (Hallie Adams) doesn't feel at first that her daughter is safe going down there to be with the judge right now," Pritchard said. "The impetus now is the result of the video, not necessarily the video itself."

The district attorney and federal prosecutors both declined to bring charges against William Adams, but the State Commission on Judicial Conduct continues its investigation.

Last week, Rockport Police Chief Tim Jayroe said that police did not interview the younger daughter, but asked both Hallie and Hillary Adams about it and there was no indication of abuse of the younger daughter.

[Dgunner]

ALL THESE POSTERS HERE THAT DAMN THE ROD ARE RAISING THE FUTURE INMATES FOR OUR NOT SO FAR OFF PRISON COMPOUNDS.DO THEM A FAVOR AND WHIP THAT ASS!BEAT THEM NO WHIP THEM YES. WHEN DID A ASS WHIPPING BECOME SUCH A BAD THING ? IF SOME OF THESE POSTERS HAD THIER ASS WHIPPED THEY WOULD BE WORKING A JOB INSTEAD OF POSTING **** LIKE THIS ON NEWS SITE.

[antoniof123]

After reading the comments defending this guy, he is a judge who decides these types of cases so in effect you are idiots.

[thebob-bob]

You can hear the rightwing whack-jobs singing in the chorus:

"More government infringement on a man's God-given right to beat the dickens out of a willful child. Say's so in The Bible, the basis of all our laws and so it MUST take precedence over any liberal, "spoil your kid rotten" laws the commie ALCU wants."

Same go for the Women you own?

[Jhihmoac]

...Goes to show what happens when you spoil kids, then take their toys away - SHEESH!

[voxpopulus]

Goes to show what happens when you are a psychopath who nevertheless has the basic equipment to procreate.

[credibility2]

This daughter is vindictive. As long as her daddy was giving her things, she kept the video a secret. As soon as daddy cut her off from her gravy train, she posted it and is now doing the tv circuit. The judge was right to beat her for illegally stealing intellectual property after she was ordered not to while she was a teen. She didn't have any broken bones, bruises, cut skin, or required hospitalization. If she thought her daddy such a monster, she would've gone immediately to the police with the video and to charge her parents with physical abuse. But, she didn't and that was because she wanted to keep getting daddy's handouts. The judge should codify his will and take this daughter out of it.

[skeezix06]

A judge who decides child abuse cases absolutely knows better than to beat a child. He should be disbarred and fired.

[voxpopulus]

He is out of control in this video. If you can't see that, God help your kids.

[Skootch]

If this had been a black or mexican father beating his child in Texas, you can bet he would be behind bars as we speak. But, he's a white Texas judge... nice justice, Texas... nice justice...

[markag55]

If this guy is still a family judge in Texas, he should be immediately be given leave. Whether he can be charged at this late date is one thing; whether he stays on the bench, or for that matter, even practice law, is another.

[bundye]

Restrain??? Take him off the bench also!!

[AnnieDanny]

The older daughter could have helped her family more if she had taken appropriate steps through channels instead of posting the video on YouTube. Yes, the father needed to be confronted but I can't see anything good coming out of this very public mess; only ruination and separation and hard feelings for years to come - possibly for the rest of all their lives. There are a lot of other things she could have done with the video if she truly wanted to help her family in a constructive way.

[LCCLYDE]

Whoever his Boss or oversee.er is should TERMINATE him immediatly.Judges are held as an example of the Law and this man is a poor example of anything that is good.