A Texas judge filmed in a viral video beating his disabled daughter won't face criminal charges because the five-year statutes of limitations has expired, say police. Though the beating occurred several years ago, daughter Hillary Adams, who suffers from cerebral palsy, said she was afraid to post the film any earlier because she feared retribution by her dad. "I waited seven years because back then I was still a minor and living under his roof, and releasing it then, I don't know what would've happened to me and my mother and my little sister," Adams, now 23, said on the Today Show. "We believe that there was a criminal offense involved and that there was substantial evidence to indicate that and under normal circumstances ... a charge could have been made," notes the police chief.
But William Adams is taking a paid leave from his job, and could be hit with serious penalties when he faces a State Commission of Judicial Conduct, reports the New York Daily News. Adams is being replaced by a visiting judge, and some media reports say he has left town because of death threats. "He'll not take the bench for a while," said a court spokesman. Hillary's mom is also seen on the tape whipping her daughter with a belt, but she now says she regrets her actions. "I was completely brainwashed and controlled," Adams said. "I did every single thing that he did. When I leave the room, he’s telling me what to say, what to do." Hillary's dad has insisted he did nothing wrong when he beat his daughter, and issued a statement yesterday saying his daughter posted the clip to get back at him after he told her he was cutting the amount of financial support he gives her and taking away her Mercedes, reports the AP. (More Hillary Adams stories.)