Houston attorney fired after sending 'threatening and harassing' letter to Black female judge

HOUSTON - A federally appointed judge is speaking out after receiving what she calls "a threatening and harassing" letter from a Houston attorney who has now been terminated because of it.

"I was shocked and surprised to receive that letter," Judge Hughes explains. 

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The letter sent from Houston Attorney Ben Aderholt to Immigration Judge Erica Hughes begins by addressing the judge by her first name, and immediately asks "Who do you think you are?" 

"Calling me Erica, as if we are friends or as if he knows me, started off in the wrong direction. The letter progresses and gets progressively worse," says Judge Hughes.  

In fact, the line in the letter Aderholt wrote that stings most for Judge Hughes is this, "Political animals who treat our judiciary as political games...". 

"The ‘animals’ part stands out to me, that an individual in 2024 would show such disdain for an individual they've never met," says Judge Hughes.  

The letter was written on Aderholt's company letterhead. Law firm Coats-Rose tells me Aderholt "practiced poor judgment" and he has now been terminated.

Judge Hughes, a military veteran, believes lawsuits filed against several Black female judicial candidates in this election created an atmosphere for people to send the candidates such letters. 

"I expect to be attacked when I serve in the military. I don't expect to be attacked when I run for a political position in a party, in a democracy in the United States," Judge Hughes explains.   

While several Black female candidates have had their eligibility or qualifications questioned, Judge Hughes was elected a Harris County criminal court judge in 2018 and later appointed as a federal immigration judge. 

"So no one could attack my qualifications. This was another way to try to get me removed from the ballot," explains Judge Hughes. 

The lawsuit attempting to remove Judge Hughes from the ballot accused her of forging 102 names on a petition. 

"So in criminal court, that's 102 allegations and punishable by a felony, two to 10 years in jail. It's false, of course," Judge Hughes explains. 

The Texas Supreme Court threw out that claim against her, but the judge says she has received threatening letters ever since the suit. 

"It's very disheartening, in 2024, I receive letters like this calling me an animal, calling me by my first name. I reference the year because of the history in this country, of slavery. I don't expect that in 2024. Democracy is what this country was built on. I served in the military, so I can run as a judicial candidate in a free country, as long as I'm qualified," Judge Hughes says.

Ben Aderholt sent FOX 26 a statement saying, in part, using company letterhead to write to a judicial candidate violated his firm's policy. He says that, "was unintentional and careless but was an error of judgment," and he apologized for using his company letterhead. But again, Aderholt's firm confirms he was terminated because of the letter.