Burnam Will Push Keller Impeachment Next Session if Nothing is Done in Interim

Rep. Lon Burnam spoke on personal privilege this afternoon to explain to members that he would not force his Sharon Keller impeachment resolution through ... yet.

The resolution would have called for the creation of a committee to consider the impeachment of Keller, presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, who refused to allow her office to stay open until after 5 p.m. so a death row prisoner's lawyers could file an appeal. The prisoner, Michael Richards, was executed later that evening.

Burnam has criticized Keller for "callously [dismissing] a clearly relevant appeal to spare a man's life." At the end of April, he said he would use the House rules to force a vote on the resolution.

But today he said that he would "accommodate the concerns some [House members] have expressed" and allow other authorities to deal with the question of her impeachment. However, if she were still on the bench by the beginning of next session, and if he were still a legislator, Burnam said he would "feel compelled to bring this resolution to the floor."