Highlights
- Judge Gail Horne Ray was recused from Casen Carver’s December 1 trial after text messages suggested improper connections
- Carver texted his father, claiming the judge “knows to help us” because “her son was accused of rape a while back”
- Judge Brad Myers granted the recusal to “safeguard public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary”
- Carver waived his right to a jury trial in September, so a judge will decide his fate on rape and video voyeurism charges
- Myers found no proven bias but said the circumstances could create the appearance of impropriety
Judge Recused in Madison Brooks Case Ahead of December Trial
A Baton Rouge judge has been removed from the Madison Brooks rape case after text messages from the defendant raised questions about her impartiality.
BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL News) — Judge Gail Horne Ray will no longer preside over Casen Carver’s trial in the Madison Brooks rape case. Fellow 19th Judicial District Court Judge Brad Myers issued the recusal order Monday, less than a month before Carver’s December 1 trial on charges of first- and third-degree rape and video voyeurism.
The recusal comes down to text messages Carver sent his father that suggested an improper relationship with the judge and confidence she would rule in his favor. Myers wrote in his ruling that the texts created an appearance of impropriety requiring Ray’s removal, even though he found no evidence of actual bias.
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What the Text Messages Revealed
The most damaging text came in February 2023, weeks after Brooks’ death. Carver wrote to his father: “And the judge we are getting, I think u know about but we are friends with her and she is really good for our case. Her son was accused of rape a while back so she knows to help us.”…