Ennis City Manager Apologizes For Judge’s Tweet About Johnny Manziel Speeding Ticket
Featured Stories, Sports Friday, January 18th, 2013ENNIS, Texas (AP) _ Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel recently got a speeding ticket near Dallas and a local judge thought it newsworthy enough to post something on Facebook. The freshman Texas A and M quarterback got the ticket in Ennis, a small city about 35 miles south of Dallas. The Ennis court did not immediately respond to a request today for a copy of the ticket or for details about the incident, which was first reported by USA Today.
The WFAA-TV website reports Ennis City Manager Steve Howerton wrote an apology Friday on the social media remarks, calling them “insensitive and inappropriate.” “Receiving a traffic ticket is not a humorous matter,” the statement read. “Further, it is not the policy of the City of Ennis to indiscriminately publish the identity of traffic ticket recipients or to publicly lecture them.” Judge Lee Johnson, a Baylor graduate, posted about the ticket on Facebook. Manziel’s name wasn’t mentioned. Instead, the judge wrote about “a certain unnamed (very) recent Heisman Trophy winner.” “It appears that even though the OU defense couldn’t stop him, the Ennis PD is a different story altogether. Gig ‘em indeed,” he wrote. Howerton said Johnson has worked in public service for 25 years with an “unblemished record” and reached out to the football player in an attempt to apologize. The city manager said the incident is under investigation.
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Posted by Bill Oliver
on Jan 18 2013. Filed under Featured Stories, Sports.
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There is a reason that Judges are refered to as “Your Honor” and “Honorable”. By holding the position, they are held to a higher standard and expected to demonstrate exceptional fairness and integrity. This expectation goes for all aspects of their life, whether they like it or not. Mr. Johnson has shown that he does not act in a way that is honorable nor demonstrates the integrity worthy of the position. Continuing to allow him to hold such a position will be a reflectiion on the integrity of the City of Ennis. Sometimes a Judge has to make difficult decisions, because it is the right thing to do, can the City of Ennis?
You are so right, John. Yet the city allows Lee Johnson to continue to use his position to belittle people. It baffles many of the citizens of Ennis. Lee Johnson has no business being in a Judge’s position. He is a bully who seems to try and build up his own low self esteem by degrading others. This incident with Johnny Manziel is nothing new for Lee Johnson.
I’m sure the judge would love if someone in his family got a ticket somewhere and some idot judge thought it would be fun to post on his Facebook page. Typical BU grad.