The State Commission on Judicial Conduct publicly admonished Bandera County Justice of the Peace Michael Towers and ordered additional education after reviewing his handling of an eviction case. The Commission reached its decision during a February 4–5, 2026, meeting after notifying Towers of its concerns and receiving a written response. The matter stemmed from an eviction filing in August 2024, that also involved a dispute over ownership of a modular home. The Commission said Towers sought guidance from the Texas Justice Court Training Center before taking action. 

The training center advised Towers that his court lacked jurisdiction because of the ownership issue and told him to either dismiss the case or stay it until the matter was resolved in district court. The Commission found that Towers did not follow that guidance. Instead, he proceeded with actions that kept the case active in his court despite the jurisdictional limitation.

Sequence of Court Actions

On February 26, 2025, Towers signed an order granting a motion to transfer venue and directed that the eviction case be sent to the 198th District Court. The Commission’s order does not describe any ruling or action taken by the district court after the transfer order was issued. It also does not indicate that the ownership issue was resolved. By May 14, 2025, Towers held a hearing in the eviction case with both sides represented, one appearing in person and the other by phone. 

At the conclusion of that hearing, Towers orally ruled that the case would be dismissed. After the hearing ended and one attorney disconnected, Towers continued speaking with the remaining attorney about the outcome. During that exchange, the plaintiffs attorney expressed a preference for a final judgment rather than a dismissal. Later that same day, Towers signed an eviction judgment in favor of the defendant. 

Findings of Misconduct

Court records described the shift as a change from dismissal to judgment after one side was no longer present. The Commission determined that Towers’ actions included an improper ex parte communication and denied the absent party the opportunity to be heard regarding the final disposition. It also found that Towers failed to comply with the law and maintain professional competence by issuing rulings in a matter over which his court lacked jurisdiction. 

In his response, Towers said he believed a dismissal and a judgment would have had the same effect and indicated he did not expect objections. He also acknowledged that he had not previously referred a case to district court and that his method may not have been correct.

Education Ordered

The Commission ordered Towers to complete two hours of additional instruction with a mentor, focused on eviction law, in addition to his required judicial education for fiscal year 2026. The training must be completed within 60 days of notification of a mentor assignment, and Towers is responsible for arranging the sessions. The Commission authorized limited disclosure of information to the Texas Justice Court Training Center to facilitate that process.  

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