Unseemly moment female Texas judge clashes with lawyer in rowdy bar after accusing the other woman of spreading vicious rumors about her boyfriend
A Texas attorney got into an altercation with a district judge at a loud bar after accusing the other woman of spreading rumors about her ex-boyfriend.
San Antonio police were called to the Mariachi Bar at Mi Tierra Café Wednesday evening after attorney Leigh Cutter and Bexar County Court Judge Melanie Lira had a heated altercation.
According to police records seen by DailyMail.com, Cutter accused Lira of assaulting her and “spreading rumors about her ex-boyfriend” during an alcohol-fueled meeting for legal professionals.
In a video capturing part of the confrontation, Lira tells Cutter, “I just don’t understand where it came from.
“I don’t even know who your court reporter is,” Cutter says before Lira blocks the camera with her hand and the recording abruptly cuts off.
Attorney Leigh Cutter and Bexar County Court 7 Judge Melanie Lira (left) got into a heated argument Wednesday evening. Cutter accused Lira of assaulting her and spreading rumors about her ex-boyfriend
Lira later told San Antonio police that Cutter had been “harassing” her on social media for some time
Cutter claimed Lira “physically pushed her and verbally threatened her” during the standoff at a local bar
Speaking to KSAT, Cutter claimed Lira “checked” her before saying she knew what cases Cutter had in her court.
The lawyer told police that Lira “physically pushed her and verbally threatened her.” She characterized their exchange as a “ruthless confrontation.”
However, a police officer noted that there was no clear evidence of assault in the footage. According to a report, both women were drunk.
Lira, meanwhile, told police that she and Cutter had a controversial past.
“I spoke with (Lira) who stated that (Cutter) has been harassing her on various social media platforms,” an officer wrote in the incident report.
The report mentions the platforms Facebook and Instagram, where both women are active.
Lira told police that Cutter had problems with her in the past and “made negative comments about her.”
“(Lira) wanted to know what (Cutter’s) problem was with her, in an effort to make things right. (Lira) approached (Cutter) and asked her what her problem was with her,” the report said.
Despite Cutter’s claims, a police report notes that there were no obvious signs of assault in the video footage of the altercation, and notes that both women were intoxicated.
Lira told police she confronted Cutter because she wanted to know “what (Cutter’s) problem was with her,” but Cutter denied making any negative comments.
Cutter “denied all previous negative comments” before placing her hands on Lira’s shoulders in a “condescending manner,” Lira told police.
When Lira “realized that she would not be able to resolve her differences with Cutter,” she “walked away to talk to other people at the event,” the report said.
When Lira spoke to other people, she claimed that Cutter’s assistant started filming her “for some unknown reason.”
When Lira returned home that evening, she was approached by friends who told her that Cutter had accused her of assault in a social media post.
“(Cutter) wrote in the post she was confronted by (Lira) claiming ‘she sought me out and attacked me for no reason,'” the report reads, noting that Lira felt “alarmed, irritated and embarrassed.”
Lira then filed a harassment complaint with the San Antonio Police Department.
Cutter is now in the process of filing a formal complaint against Lira with the State Commission for Judicial Conduct.
The Bexar County Court judge took office last January. She was born and raised in San Antonio and is the first-born citizen in her family, according to an online biography.
The district judge alleged that Cutter then placed her hands on her shoulders in a “condescending manner.” After Lira walked away, one of Cutter’s assistants started filming her
According to the police report, the lawyer posted a message on social media accusing Lira of assaulting her
She is in the process of filing a formal complaint against the judge with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct
Lira filed a harassment complaint with San Antonio police Wednesday night after returning home from the bar
The Bexar County Court judge took office last January. She was born and raised in San Antonio and is the first-born citizen in her family, according to an online biography.
While completing a theology program at the University of Denver, Lira began working with nonprofits helping undocumented immigrants, sparking a passion for legal work.
She graduated from law school in 2015 and earned a second master’s degree in international relations during her studies.
Cutter is a partner at Cutter and Associates, a firm based in San Antonio.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she studied telecommunications media and German at Texas A&M University before pursuing a career in law.
Cutter graduated from law school in 2014 and worked at a handful of local firms before launching her own firm in 2019. She works in the areas of criminal law and family law.