Bankruptcy Judge’s Exit Raises Questions About Policing Ethics

A high-profile Texas bankruptcy judge’s resignation reveals the limited power—and will—of existing judicial oversight systems to take steps that would prevent future ethical misconduct.

Judge David R. Jones of the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has, for now, calmed the maelstrom of controversy by announcing his decision to leave the bench. He announced his resignation, which will go into effect on Nov. 15, following revelations that he failed to disclose his long-term relationship with a local attorney at a firm that regularly appeared in his cases.

But with an appeals court seemingly dropping an investigation ...