Judge releases violent offenders after losing election

HOUSTON, Tex. — Texas voters kicked out a group of Republican judges Tuesday, replacing them with Democrats.

One of those judges released several violent offenders Wednesday in an apparent protest to the election. "Judge Devlin would not ever normally ask that question of a juvenile," public defender Steve Halpert told KTRK.

Judge Glenn Devlin, on the bench just hours after being voted out of office along with all of his Republican colleagues in a midterm sweep by Democrats, had an unusual question for Halpert's client. "'If I release you, will you go out and murder anybody?' And so if the juvenile said no, they were released," said Halpert.

In the end, 10-12 juveniles, including Halpert's client, were released. Many were accused of violent offenses.

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Devlin didn't respond to a request for comment, but in a statement, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said, "We oppose the wholesale release of violent offenders at any age; this could endanger the public."

Out of character is how Halpert describes this move. He says Devlin, a judge since 2010, alluded to the election results. "I just think this was a post-election weird blip. He made a comment that this is obviously what the voters wanted, and I think the implication there is by electing all Democratic judges, there's this belief that Democratic judges are going to be soft on crime."

CNN/KTRK