Municipal court judge Gladys Bransford charged in hit-and-run accident

Part-time Harris County Municipal Court Judge Gladys Bransford is facing two felony charges associated with a hit-and-run accident alleged to have happened on Tuesday afternoon outside a 99 Cent Only store at 8700 South Gessner Road, Houston. Judge Bransford is charged with failure to stop and render aid and tampering with evidence, both offenses carry the possibility of jail time. The victim of the alleged hit-and-run accident was a pedestrian, Graciela Al-Muhammadawy. Graciela said she was leaving the store walking toward her car when the 2011 black Mercedes struck her while trying to pull in to a handicap parking spot. Graciela said the female driver opened the car door to ask if she was okay: when she answered "no" the driver said she would call an ambulance and her insurance company, but instead just drove away.

Graciela's left hand was visibly swollen as she talked to a reporter for Channel 11 News. She said she wanted to thank a male witness who helped her after the accident and gave a statement to the police. Graciela was able to take down the license plate of the Mercedes before the vehicle left the scene. Judge Bransford has not been formally arrested. Channel 2's report is here. Channel 13's report is here. According to the Channel 13 story, when confronted by police Judge Bransford allegedly tried to wipe a hand print from her car, which resulted in her car being impounded (and presumably the addition of the evidence tampering charge).

Hopefully police checked with the 99 Cent Only store and surrounding businesses to see if there is surveillance camera footage of what occurred. 

The 99 Cent Only store at 8700 South Gessner Road, scene of Tuesday's
alleged pedestrian hit-and-run accident.