Judge William Adams Caught Beating Daughter on Video International Business Times — US, November 2, 2011


A video of Judge William Adams hitting his daughter with a leather belt is sending outrage across the online community. Adams is currently the Aransas County (Texas) Court-At-Law Judge.

WARNING! This video may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not play it if children are within viewing or listening range.

According to the description of the video, which was signed by the judge's daughter Hillary Adams, the girl was beaten "as punishment for using the internet to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time."

"Judge William Adams is not fit to be anywhere near the law system if he can't even exercise fit judgement as a parent himself. Do not allow this man to ever be re-elected again. His "judgement" is a giant farce. Signed, Hillary Adams, his daughter," the description says.

Judge Adams' office has yet to respond for comment, and so it cannot be confirmed that he is the man in the video, but Gawker spoke to Hillary Adams' friend J. Andre Bardin, who said that Adams and his wife were the ones in the video.

"I know in the article you say you cannot confirm the man in the video is him, but I can. It's him," Bardin said. "That's his voice, that's his mannerisms, and that is his house."

No matter who is in the video, it is shocking and disturbing. It is filmed with a hidden camera in the girl's bedroom, and shows the father verbally and physically abusing his daughter. Early into the clip, the girl's mother comes in and begins shouting and threatening the girl as well.

Judge Adams says to his daughter, "I'm going to beat you into submission," and "Get on your stomach like a grown woman!" among other things.

The person who uploaded the video urged viewers not to blame the mother.

"The judge's wife was emotionally abused herself and was severely manipulated into assisting the beating and should not be blamed for any content in this video. The judge's wife has since left the marriage due to the abuse, which continues to this day, and has sincerely apologized and repented for her part and for allowing such a thing, long before this video was even revealed to exist," YouTube user "shoehedgie" said.

The video was taken in 2004 and uploaded in October. Aransas County did not return phone calls for comment and Judge Adam's office phone has been disconnected.


Media coverage of this incident and viewers' reactions quickly deluged the Internet following the release of the video. It continues to expand at an exponential rate. We encourage readers to follow developments by searching "Judge William Adams" with Google.

PTAVE – 11/04/11



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