Judge Orders Whites Out Of Atlanta Court

WSBTV.com. ^ | March 28, 2008

[kingattax]

ATLANTA -- Judge Marvin Arrington insists he's not a racist; despite ordering white lawyers out of his courtroom on Thursday.

The Fulton County Superior Court judge said he was just fed up seeing a parade of young black defendants in his courtroom.

"I came out and saw the defendants, about 99.9 percent Afro-Americans, and some point time I excused some of the lawyers, most of them white, and said to the young people in here 'What in the world are you doing with your lives,'" he told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter JaQuitta Williams.

Arrington said he thought his message might have more power if it was delivered to a blacks-only audience.

"I didn't think about racism or reverse racism, I practiced law for 30 years and 75 percent of my partners were white," he explained.

The judge said the majority of people who appear before him accused of crimes such as murder, rape and robbery are black and he wanted to do something about it, one on one.

"I didn't want them to think I was talking down to them; trying to embarrass them or insult them; be derogatory towards them and I was just saying 'Please get yourself together,'" he said.

Arrington added that he may make a similar speech next week, but this time he'll allow everyone to hear it.

[The Brush]

After reading his reasoning and a few comments here, it makes perfect sense to me.

[SeaHawkFan]

I don’t think so. I agree with you.

[Lester Moore]

Way too many of”the sisters”try to dominate and run the show,

That isn't just a black thing.

Any man in a relationship where the woman tries to dominate & control him should immediately get a divorce. Jezebel's efforts will never cease. Don't stay & waste your time.

[RetiredArmy]

Drop dead.

[JLS]

The judge wasn’t conducting a court proceeding, so there was no constitutional violation. He was giving a speech to a group of people.

That is what I think too. The Judge was not advising them to plea a certain way nor to change attorneys. He was not adjudicating the cases. So I agree their rights were not violated.

He should have either lecture them in open court or as someone else said if he felt it more effective, ordered everyone regardless of race out of the court, except a court officer to protect him.

[madprof98]

Many of these kids don’t have MOTHERS. At least if you define that word as a loving,nurturing caregiver.

Sorry, having spent the better part of a lifetime with guys just like this, I also got to know their mamas. Oh, they'll be in court with their "babies," blubbering about how unfairly they've been treated and what really, really good boys they are.

It is FATHERS who cut through this crap and put these mama's babies on the straight and narrow path, and it is FATHERS these boys do not have.

[The Drowning Witch]

I applaud the judge's decision.

Black seasoned citizens in positions of great influence and wielding the power of the State, should take more opportunities to lecture bluntly the youth of their community.

[eyedigress]

'What in the world are you doing with your lives,'"

The judge recognizes that race is an issue and they cannot be truthful with whitey in the room. Thanks Jeremiah Wright.

[Riverman94610]

Thanks.I do that now.Wish I had done it thirty years ago too.

[Riverman94610]

Yes,thats what the fathers SHOULD be doing-putting a necessary foot in a fool’s behind.
Yet you don’t want moms to run around town looking like a hoojie either,cussing and sporting tattoos and showing her ass.
I think the one positive thing the Black Muslims have done in this country is insist on modesty for black women.Now THATS revolutionary.

[sport]

Affirmative action at its best.

[gondramB]

>>I applaud the judge’s decision.

Black seasoned citizens in positions of great influence and wielding the power of the State, should take more opportunities to lecture bluntly the youth of their community.<<

Yes, but they can do it without racially segregating a court room.

[sport]

I agree. They were hatched in outer space.

[sport]

I think you got the message.

[sport]

What about the people they robbed, raped, and killed?

No one gives a crap about them.

[lonestar]

My beautiful, blond cousin was raped and stabbed 32 times in Atlanta by a young black man 15 years ago and died last year from the internal wounds...the “repairs” eventually didn’t work. Her life was never the same...hands were in constant pain from the defensive wounds. She did tri-athelons (sp?) before and weighed about 170 when she died.

[ladyjane]

Did the young black man ever go to jail?

[PzLdr]

I respectfully disagree. Those people were there for some purpose related to court proceedings: arraignments, calendar control, whatever. The fact that there were attornies present militates against the argument that the judge “was giving a speech”.

All Court proceedings are, as a matter of constitutional law, required to be open to the public, barring an exception such as I discussed. The judge was in error, and assuming the defendants in his court are part of his caseload, no matter how he disposes of their cases, or how he sentences them, he’s raised the appearance of impropriety.

[MeekOneGOP]

Verrrry Interrrresting!