Charges of Judicial misconduct have resulted in the suspension of a Black judge in Kentucky after he twice dismissed all-white juries he accused a Louisville prosecutor of intentionally constructing. Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Olu Stevens was taken off of the bench for 90 days without pay, on Monday, August 8, over eight alleged code of conduct violations dating back to 2014. Among the infractions faced by Stevens, are several relating to statements directed at plaintiffs and attorneys, that were deemed "racially-charged."
During a 2014 case in which the defendant objected to the lack of diversity on the jury, Stevens reportedly dissolved the panel, making way for a new set of jurors consisting of four African-Americans. After taking similar actions in 2015, Attorney Tom Wine filed a complaint questioning Stevens' authority to carry out such measures, with the Kentucky Supreme Court. Stevens is cited as later having openly criticized Wine on social media and in a speech before his peers at the Louisville Bar Association.
Other alleged conduct breaches make reference to comments he has made about state defense attorneys. One of the charges against Stevens alleges that he once blasted two robbery victims for teaching their children to fear Black people. “While I maintain that we should continue to speak against racial stereotyping or discrimination of any kind, I acknowledge that directing my frustration at the victims of the crime was not the appropriate method or venue to address the subject,” Stevens would remark in an apology to the victims.
Stevens' suspension is a compromise agreed upon after he dropped a lawsuit against the judges and prosecutors responsible for removing him on December of 2015. In the suit, Stevens defended that his statements were his free speech right under the First Amendment. The settlement spares Stevens from a possible indefinite removal from the bench. He is expected to return to work after October 30.
A GoFundMe page has been established to support Stevens through his unpaid suspension.
Source: atlantablackstar.com
