The Galveston County Daily News

House impeachment proceedings against Judge Samuel B. Kent, although initially scheduled for Thursday, were pre-empted by a daylong voting marathon on a spending bill and postponed, possibly until today.

Two hours of debate were scheduled before a planned vote on House Resolution 520, which lists four articles of impeachment against the embattled U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Texas.

The first of two items on the Thursday House agenda, a $64.4 billion spending bill for fiscal year 2010, consumed the day, as the democratic majority met with dozens of Republican amendments to the bill to fund the U.S. departments of Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies.

Shortly after 5 p.m., the House passed the spending bill, 259-157, and the speaker announced the House was in recess but subject to recall by the Chair.

A House Judiciary Committee staffer, however, said Thursday night impeachment proceedings could commence today.

Kent, 59, pleaded guilty Feb. 23 to obstruction of justice in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping charges that stemmed from Kent’s admitted nonconsensual sexual contact with his former caseworker and secretary.

Kent, who presided in Galveston for almost 20 years, reported Monday to Federal Medical Center Devens, an administrative facility in Ayer, Mass., following his May 11 sentencing to 33 months in prison. He could be released Nov. 11, 2011, on good behavior.

Although Kent announced earlier this month his intention to resign next June, the only way to remove Kent from the bench and end his $174,000 annual salary he collects while incarcerated is by impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate.

The road to Kent’s possible removal from the bench included recommendations of impeachment from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the House committee on the Judiciary, which last week approved four articles of impeachment citing high crimes and misdemeanors.

The first two articles deal with Kent’s admitted nonconsensual sexual contact with his former caseworker and secretary in his Galveston chambers.

The remaining articles deal with false statements Kent made to investigators, including a special panel of the 5th Circuit Court and to the FBI, documents reveal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.