Judge Mark Rusch has a lengthy history of conducting himself in a dishonest and discriminatory manner. Additionally, he has engaged in a pattern of discrimination against vulnerable parents in a manner that puts domestic violence survivors and their children at risk for abuse. Judge Rusch has repeatedly ignored the signs of abuse in cases before him and has demonstrated a willingness to engage in ex parte communication and receive ex parte evidence to justify his actions.

In one case, a mother and her son’s relationship with her daughter was suddenly and completely obstructed with no visitation without due process, or evidence to support such harsh sanctions as outlined by the Texas Supreme Court, while her ex-partner admitted during recorded testimony to consistent physical, financial, and emotional abandonment of the son, and to wanting the mother and son to have zero access to the daughter because the ex-partner did not want them to have a relationship. The ex-partner also testified that he wanted the mother “financially crippled” and Judge Rusch did just that sanctioning the mother with child/medical support for both the daughter and the son, as well as extreme legal and psych fees.

The ex-partners recorded testimony is the epitome of neglect, abuse, and abandonment. Judge Rusch sealed records which favored the mother and son to manufacture an unfavorable ruling after receiving contributions, endorsements, and other campaign support from a good friend, the President of the Frisco State Bar (opposing counsel), whom he also has a relationship with on social media. The favorable ruling giving opposing counsel everything he asked for in his amended pleadings provided the Friday before the final trial, considering his relationship with Judge Rusch supports the appearance of bias and impropriety, and as a result, a mother and son are left to grieve the loss of a child/sister who is alive, and she grieves for them too. 

In this exceptionally severe case, Judge Mark Rusch expressly stated from the bench that people with certain mental disorders are “the worst and should have very limited time with their children if any at all”. Additionally, Judge Rusch told the mother that if she made an outcry during the rendering of his decision, he would “send her to jail”. Judge Rusch actively withheld the daughter from the mother without any warning for more than one and a half years with no visitation for the mother or the son, in total, the mother and son have not seen or heard the daughter since February 21, 2016. There was no evidence of abuse, no criminal history or CPS reports and the mother does not have a mental health history either. This abuse of power and deprivation of constitutional rights has caused irreparable harm and has unjustly obstructed a once very loving relationship with the children involved and their mother. 

This type of behavior simply cannot be tolerated from a member of our prestigious judiciary. Please join us by signing our Petition to Impeach Judge Mark Rusch and let your state Representatives know that Texas still cares about judicial integrity.