Impeaching Samuel B. Kent, judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Bill: 111-hres-520
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14]
Introduced: 2009-06-09 in the House
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Congressional oversight
Crimes against women
Federal district courts
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Judges
Sex offenses
Texas

Summary:
action_date: 2009-06-09
text: 
Impeaches Samuel B. Kent, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
 
Sets forth articles of impeachment.
 
Declares that, incident to his position as a U.S. district court judge, Samuel B. Kent engaged in conduct with respect to employees associated with the court that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him as a judge.
 
Declares that Judge Kent, on one or more occasions, sexually assaulted Cathy McBroom and Donna Wilkerson by: (1) touching their private areas directly and through their clothing against their will; and (2) attempting to cause them to engage in sexual acts with him. 
 
Declares that Judge Kent corruptly obstructed, influenced, or impeded an official proceeding relating to Ms. McBroom's complaint, and made false statements to a Fifth Circuit Special Investigative Committee about his unwanted sexual contact with Ms. Wilkerson.
 
States that Judge Kent was indicted and pled guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment for the felony of obstruction of justice on the basis of false statements made to the Committee.
 
 Declares that Judge Kent made material false and misleading statements about the nature and extent of his nonconsensual sexual contact with Ms. McBroom and Ms. Wilkerson to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on or about November 30, 2007, and to FBI agents and representatives of the Department of Justice on or about August 11, 2008. 
 
Declares that Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office. 

action_date: 2009-06-17
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Impeaches Samuel B. Kent, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
 
Sets forth articles of impeachment.
 
Declares that, incident to his position as a U.S. district court judge, Samuel B. Kent engaged in conduct with respect to employees associated with the court that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him as a judge.
 
Declares that Judge Kent, on one or more occasions, sexually assaulted Cathy McBroom and Donna Wilkerson by: (1) touching their private areas directly and through their clothing against their will; and (2) attempting to cause them to engage in sexual acts with him. 
 
Declares that Judge Kent corruptly obstructed, influenced, or impeded an official proceeding relating to Ms. McBroom's complaint, and made false statements to a Fifth Circuit Special Investigative Committee about his unwanted sexual contact with Ms. Wilkerson.
 
States that Judge Kent was indicted and pled guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment for the felony of obstruction of justice on the basis of false statements made to the Committee.
 
 Declares that Judge Kent made material false and misleading statements about the nature and extent of his nonconsensual sexual contact with Ms. McBroom and Ms. Wilkerson to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on or about November 30, 2007, and to FBI agents and representatives of the Department of Justice on or about August 11, 2008. 
 
Declares that Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office. 

action_date: 2009-06-19
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 
Impeaches Samuel B. Kent, judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
 
Sets forth articles of impeachment.
 
Declares that, incident to his position as a U.S. district court judge, Samuel B. Kent engaged in conduct with respect to employees associated with the court that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him as a judge.
 
Declares that Judge Kent, on one or more occasions, sexually assaulted Cathy McBroom and Donna Wilkerson by: (1) touching their private areas directly and through their clothing against their will; and (2) attempting to cause them to engage in sexual acts with him. 
 
Declares that Judge Kent corruptly obstructed, influenced, or impeded an official proceeding relating to Ms. McBroom's complaint, and made false statements to a Fifth Circuit Special Investigative Committee about his unwanted sexual contact with Ms. Wilkerson.
 
States that Judge Kent was indicted and pled guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment for the felony of obstruction of justice on the basis of false statements made to the Committee.
 
Declares that Judge Kent made material false and misleading statements about the nature and extent of his nonconsensual sexual contact with Ms. McBroom and Ms. Wilkerson to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on or about November 30, 2007, and to FBI agents and representatives of the Department of Justice on or about August 11, 2008. 
 
Declares that Judge Samuel B. Kent is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: On agreeing to Article IV of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 372 - 0, 1 Present (Roll no. 418). (consideration: CR H7066-7067)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to Article IV of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 372 - 0, 1 Present (Roll no. 418).(consideration: CR H7066-7067)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: On agreeing to Article III of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 381 - 0 (Roll no. 417). (consideration: CR H7066)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to Article III of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 381 - 0 (Roll no. 417).(consideration: CR H7066)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: On agreeing to Article II of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 385 - 0 (Roll no. 416). (consideration: CR H7065-7066)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to Article II of the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 385 - 0 (Roll no. 416).(consideration: CR H7065-7066)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: On agreeing to Article I of the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 389 - 0 (Roll no. 415). (consideration: CR H7064-7065)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On agreeing to Article I of the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 389 - 0 (Roll no. 415).(consideration: CR H7064-7065)
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 520.
action_date: 2009-06-19
text: Considered as privileged matter. (consideration: CR H7053-7067)
action_date: 2009-06-17
text: Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 75.
action_date: 2009-06-17
text: Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-159.
action_date: 2009-06-17
text: Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 111-159.
action_date: 2009-06-10
text: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 29 - 0.
action_date: 2009-06-10
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2009-06-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
action_date: 2009-06-09
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-06-09
text: Introduced in House