A Texas lawyer clashed with a county judge in a noisy bar after accusing the other woman of spreading rumors about her ex-boyfriend.
San Antonio police were called to the Mariachi Bar inside Mi Tierra Café Wednesday evening after attorney Leigh Cutter and Bexar County Court 7 Judge Melanie Lira got into a heated verbal exchange.
According to police records seen by DailyMail.com, Cutter accused Lira of assaulting her and “spreading rumors about her ex-boyfriend” during a drunken meeting for legal professionals.
In a video capturing part of the confrontation, Lira tells Cutter, “I just don’t understand where this is coming 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 stops.
Attorney Leigh Cutter and Bexar County Court 7 Judge Melanie Lira (left) got into a heated exchange 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 confrontation at a local bar
Speaking to KSAT, Cutter claimed Lira “checked her out” before saying she knew what cases Cutter had in her court.
The lawyer told police that Lira was “physically pushing her and verbally threatening her.” She called their exchange a “relentless confrontation.”
However, a police officer noted that there was no clear evidence of assault in the footage. A report claims both women were intoxicated.
Lira, meanwhile, told police that she and Cutter had a contentious past.
“I spoke with (Lira) who stated that (Cutter) was harassing her on different social media platforms,” an officer wrote in the incident report.
The report cites the platforms Facebook and Instagram, on which both women are active.
Lira told police that Cutter had had problems with her in the past and “made negative comments” about her.
“(Lira) wanted to know what (Cutter’s) problem was with her to try to make amends. (Lira) approached (Cutter) and asked what his problem was with her,” the report states.
Despite Cutter’s claims, a police report notes that there were no clear signs of assault in the video footage of the altercation and notes that both women were intoxicated.
Lira told police she approached Cutter because she wanted to know “what (Cutter’s) problem was with her,” but Cutter denied making the negative comments.
Cutter “denied any previous negative comments” before putting his hands on Lira’s shoulders in a “condescending” manner, Lira told police.
When Lira “realized she would not be able to resolve differences” with Cutter, “she walked away to speak with other people at the event,” the report states.
When Lira spoke with others, she claimed that Cutter’s assistant began filming her “for some unknown reason.”
When Lira returned home that evening, she was contacted by friends who told her that Cutter had accused her of assault in a social media post.
“(Cutter) wrote in the message she (Lira) encountered claiming ‘she sought me out and attacked me for no reason,'” the report said, noting that Lira felt “alarmed, annoyed and embarrassed “.
Lira then filed a harassment complaint with the San Antonio police.
Cutter, meanwhile, is in the process of filing a formal complaint against Lira with the State Commission on 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 county judge said Cutter then placed his hands on her shoulders in a “condescending” manner. After Lira left, one of Cutter’s assistants began 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 evening after returning 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 graduate program in theology at the University of Denver, Lira began working with nonprofit organizations that helped 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 an associate at Cutter and Associates, a San Antonio-based firm.
She studied telecommunications media and German at Texas A&M University before turning to a career in law, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Cutter finished law school in 2014 and worked at a handful of local firms before founding her own in 2019. She works in the areas of criminal law and family law.
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