Ugh. Hecht, erstwhile boyfriend of Harriet Miers and, despite being cleared of an ethics complaint in which he used his position to lobby for her to get the position of Supreme Court Justice, some of us, myself included, believe nonetheless what he did wasn't ethical. Well, neither was this.

The discount for legal help that Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht received in his battle before the State Judicial Conduct Commission may have violated campaign contribution limits and a prohibition against public servants accepting gifts.

Hecht's legal bill was slashed by about 25 percent by Chip Babcock, a prominent First Amendment attorney in Dallas. Babcock successfully defended Hecht last year on charges that he used his position on the court to lobby on behalf of his friend Harriet Miers when she was nominated for a position on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judges can solicit campaign cash for a legal defense fund, but they can't take more than $5,000 from an individual or $30,000 from a political action committee. The discount was apparently worth more than $100,000.

Judges and their families are also not allowed to accept gifts from anyone who may appear in their court unless it is part of a testimonial or ordinary social situation, such as a birthday, wedding or graduation, according to the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct canons.