A federal district court judge in McAllen, Texas, presiding over a legal malpractice lawsuit ordered a local attorney to pay $1.2 million in damages to a former client, because of a conflict of interest with a judge that detrimentally affected the client.

U.S. District Court judge Micaela Alvarez of the Southern District of Texas, in her order, stated Munoz’s conflict of interest, resulting in the disqualification of the trial judge, “rises to the level of a clear and serious breach of duty to his client.”