Laurine Blake Admonished Retired

Laurine Blake, formerly the judge of the 336th District Court in Fannin County, Texas, was publicly admonished by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct for improperly involving herself in the 2024 judicial election between candidates Kyle Shaw and Christina Tillett. The Commission found Blake allowed her personal relationships with both candidates to improperly influence her conduct as a sitting judge, promoting Tillett while working against Shaw. Specifically, the Commission found Blake sent private text messages to local political leaders and community influencers containing negative personal and legal information about Shaw, aimed at swaying public opinion against him ahead of the election. Blake retired at the end of her term, effective December 31, 2024, shortly after the Commission concluded its review.