(Reuters) - An April Fools’ Day resignation prank? One Texas civil court judge wishes it were so. A newly elected judge in Houston accidentally resigned on Monday, according to local media and a county official, after he shared plans online to run for the state supreme court, apparently unaware that the Texas constitution considers such an announcement an automatic resignation. The Harris County Civil Court judge, Bill McLeod, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Local TV station KHOU 11 News on Monday reported that McLeod declined to comment on the move. Article 16, Section 65, of the state’s constitution says that a judge’s announcement of candidacy for another office “shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held.” The county attorney’s office will present the matter to county commissioners next Tuesday, First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard said in a phone interview on Tuesday. County commissioners, who can appoint replacements, may decide to keep McLeod in office until there is a special election, KHOU 11 reported. The judge’s supporters have organized on social media using the hashtag #IStandWithMcLeod. They plan to attend the commissioners’ Tuesday meeting and express their wish that the judge retain his office despite his blunder. McLeod, a Democrat, was sworn in last November after winning the County’s Civil Court No. 4 race with 55 percent of the vote.<doc-sep>A Texas civil court judge has inadvertently resigned from his seat by announcing his intentions to seek a seat on the state Supreme Court, according to KHOU 11. Harris County Civil Court Judge Bill McLeod (D), who was elected last November with 55 percent of the vote, on Monday announced his candidacy for one of the Lone Star State’s elected Supreme Court seats, according to the news outlet. ADVERTISEMENT Unbeknownst to McLeod at the time, the state constitution states that a judge announcing candidacy for office “shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held,” according to the news outlet. The state constitution does, however, allow county commissioners, who are responsible for appointing replacement judges, to keep McLeod as an interim judge until a special election can be held. Supporters of McLeod are organizing on social media to call on the commissioners to keep McLeod in his seat at the next county commission meeting, according to KHOU 11. “Our judges are human,” Kandice Webber, a supporter of McLeod, told the outlet. “This would not be the first time that a judge has made a mistake. I would beg the court to leave him where he is. This is where Houstonians want him. This is where Harris County wants him, and we made that very loud and clear at the ballot.”<doc-sep>The joke is on him? A recently elected judge in Texas appears to have unintentionally resigned on April Fools’ Day. Harris County Civil Court Judge Bill McLeod on Monday announced his plans to run for the Supreme Court of Texas. The problem for McLeod is that a quirk in the Texas Constitution considers such an announcement an automatic resignation. Contained in Article 14, Section 65, the language in question reads: If any of the officers named herein shall announce their candidacy, or shall in fact become a candidate, in any General, Special or Primary Election, for any office of profit or trust under the laws of this State or the United States other than the office then held, at any time when the unexpired term of the office then held shall exceed one year and 30 days, such announcement or such candidacy shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held, and the vacancy thereby created shall be filled pursuant to law in the same manner as other vacancies for such office are filled. According to local CBS affiliate KHOU, County Attorney Vince Ryan will bring the matter up with Harris County commissioners next Monday. Meanwhile, McLeod is organizing his supporters in a bid to help his case–but he’s keeping his own mouth shut this time while letting those supporters do the heavy lifting. Daniel Cohen is a McLeod supporter who spoke with the outlet about the judge’s plan to keep his job. “Democracy, fairness, justice, the will of the people all of that is tied up in this decision by the commissioners,” Cohen said. The Texas Constitution also allows county commissioners the option of keeping McLeon on as a holdover judge until a special election occurs. KHOU’s legal analyst Gerald Treece floated that idea to Cohen who said, “I think that’s a perfectly legal option and they should take it.” Judge McLeod isn’t currently answering questions about his strategy going forward, according to the outlet, because he is “[c]oncerned about ethics violations,” but his lieutenants Cohen and Kandice Webber are currently working on a social media campaign to encourage other supporters to show up in full force at the next county commission meeting in order to show the court that McLeod has a well of goodwill and support in the community. “Our judges are human,” Webber told KHOU. “This would not be the first time that a judge has made a mistake. I would beg the court to leave him where he is. This is where Houstonians want him. This is where Harris County wants him, and we made that very loud and clear at the ballot.” McLeod boasts an efficient track record during his brief time in office. When he took the gavel away from his GOP predecessor, the court had 1400 cases that had yet to be assigned a docket. Within 90 days, all of those cases had been either resolved or docketed. A social media flyer highlighting McLeod’s record also notes that the judge oversaw 14 jury trials during his three months in office and claims that he “works an average of 13 hours per day” which the flyer also says is “[m]ore than any other judge.” A Democrat and part of the massive blue wave that swept away every single Republican judge in Harris County during last year’s midterm election, McLeod won the Civil Court No. 4 race with 55 percent of the vote. [image via screengrab/KHOU] Have a tip we should know? [email protected]<doc-sep>Democrat Bill McLeod became a civil court judge in Harris County, TX less than three months ago. Then yesterday he accidentally resigned, thanks to a stupid online post he made, in which he announced his intention of running for state supreme court. The new judge apparently wasn't aware that the Texas constitution doesn't allow for such announcements from a judge and leads to automatic resignation. According to Reuters: Article 16, Section 65, of the state's constitution says that a judge's announcement of candidacy for another office "shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held." The county attorney's office will present the matter to county commissioners next Tuesday, First Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard said in a phone interview on Tuesday. County commissioners, who can appoint replacements, may decide to keep McLeod in office until there is a special election, KHOU 11 reported.<doc-sep>
A judge in Texas recently resigned by accident after he publicized his intention to run for the state's Supreme Court. Democrat William "Bill" McLeod has served as a judge in Harris County Civil Court at Law Number Four since January. Thinking of the future, McLeod posted online his plans to run for the state's highest court. NORTH CAROLINA GOP CHAIRMAN, OTHERS INDICTED ON BRIBERY AND FRAUD CHARGES He told KHOU that soon after, someone showed him the Texas Constitution, specifically Article 16, Section 65, which applies to district and county clerks, county judges, and judges of county courts at law, among other positions. The law states that if any of those holding the aforementioned offices announce their candidacy for another office or become an actual candidate, "such announcement or such candidacy shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held." McLeod declined an interview with the news station but did plead on Facebook on Sunday for supporters to help him. "There has been a discussion and a issue with a potential violation ... with the Texas Constitution, and I am in dire need of people's support." The judge said that County Attorney Vince Ryan "is trying to throw me off my bench because of this potential violation," and added he has "no intention" to run for the Supreme Court. Ryan will present the issue to a meeting of the county commissioners on Tuesday, according to the report. McLeod has asked for his supporters to call the commissioners and show their support. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP One of his supporters, Kandice Webber, said the incident "would not be the first time that a judge has made a mistake." "Our judges are human," she told KHOU. "I would beg the court to leave him where he is. This is where Houstonians want him. This is where Harris County wants him, and we made that very loud and clear at the ballot.”