Judge Ordered Out of High Dollar Real Estate Lawsuit

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333rd Harris County District Court Judge Brittanye Morris and real estate developer Ali Choudhri

Less than a month after taking the bench, Judge Brittanye Morris of the 333rd District Court has been recused from the ten-year-old real estate lawsuit over a lucrative office building on the corner of Westheimer and 610. The lawsuit involves controversial Houston real estate developer Ali Choudhri. Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region Judge Susan Brown ordered Judge Morris off of the case and assigned 14th Court of Appeals Judge Randy Wilson to preside over the case.

Judge Morris issued an order last week staying the ongoing arbitration in the case. Choudhri sought the ruling, in part, after he learned that his former Chief Operating Officer Chris Wyatt was about to give sworn testimony about the financial activities of Choudhri’s company Jetall – a company involved in ownership and management of a number of Houston buildings and a litany of lawsuits.

Judge Morris ignored a motion to recuse herself before issuing the order helping Choudhri, and text messages obtained by Dolcefino Consulting show why.  The text messages were sent between Judge Morris and Wyatt in September, months before she took the bench, but after she had been assured victory, running unopposed. Wyatt was still working with Choudhri at the time.

The text messages show Morris was helping Choudhri on various legal matters, even when she knew she would be on the bench hearing Choudhri’s real estate fight. “Ali needs to run his company and make deals,” Morris texted. “Just let me know what where I can be of assistance.” Judge Morris even had an office in Choudhri’s office prior to taking the bench.

Morris defeated former Judge Daryl Moore in the Democratic primary. Moore had presided over the Choudhri case for more than six years and had issued a number of rulings against the real estate developer. The Morris campaign received more than half her campaign funds from lawyers for Choudhri and the mother of Choudhri’s son. 

Chris Wyatt’s attorney Carmen Roe weighed in on the recusal of Judge Morris, saying, “Today the rule of law prevailed over attempts to corrupt our system of justice by either intentional misconduct or, at the very least, the appearance of improper actions by Presiding Judge Brittanye Morris. The administrative judge has in one pen stroke restored justice for the litigants allowing this case to proceed with a fair and impartial arbiter who has no vested interest in the parties or the outcome.”

 “Recusal is a no-brainer, but it isn’t enough. Judge Morris needs to be removed from the bench,” says Dolcefino Consulting President Wayne Dolcefino.


The Recusal Order

SIGNED-RECUSAL-ORDER-JUDGE-MORRIS


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