William Adams, Texas judge suspended over videotaped beating of his daughter, returns to bench

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Judge Williams Adams (right), Hillary Adams (left)

/ YouTube/KZTV

(CBS/AP) ROCKPORT, Texas - William Adams, the Texas judge caught on camera viciously beating his then-teenage daughter, is expected to return to the bench Wednesday after a yearlong suspension.

Adams' first docket was scheduled for Wednesday. The Texas Supreme Court lifted Adams' suspension last week and the State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued him a public warning in September.

As Aransas County's top judge, Adams dealt with at least 349 family law cases in the year before his suspension, nearly 50 of which involved state caseworkers seeking to determine whether parents were fit to raise their children. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will no longer file physical abuse cases in his court.

Adams' older daughter, Hillary Adams, uploaded the 2004 video to YouTube just over a year ago. The video shows William Adams repeatedly whipping his then-16-year-old daughter with a belt for illegally downloading music.

The video was viewed by millions on the Internet.

Complete coverage of the Judge William Adams "video beating" case on Crimesider

5 Comments +

Add a Comment


by snertking November 23, 2012 3:41 AM EST: jhebe6863, if you think that is discipline and not abuse, you are sick and need serious help. Whether or not she disobeyed is irrelevant, beating a girl with a belt like that is abuse, and at least where I live, will land one in jail.; Reply to this comment


by jhebe6863 November 20, 2012 2:16 PM EST: Any you all are part of the problem this country is facing. Look at how many kids use this threat at parents now a days. She disobeyed him, and he is disciplining her over it. Have any of you thought why she was taping then to begin with? She knew that she was doing something that she was told not to, something that could potentially cost her parents tens of thousands of dollars in costs. She just didn't want to be disciplined for her actions.; Reply to this comment


by daveansell November 17, 2012 5:04 PM EST: This man is a monster. He should be in jail.; Reply to this comment


by VA_Jill November 15, 2012 1:09 PM EST: It's Texas. Why would anyone be surprised?; Reply to this comment


by Fargonone November 14, 2012 7:35 PM EST: He should be in jail getting beat every day. Still a judge after child abuse? Only in Texas and other backward States.; Reply to this comment