Poli Alert Political & Civics
Related Articles
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams has ordered a complete review of all cases during the ’90s when Judge Michelle Odinet was a prosecutor.
Odinet is on unpaid suspension pending the outcome of more than 100 complaints filed with the Louisiana Judiciary Commission over a video that has drawn national attention, in which she can be heard shouting a racial slur while likening a Black burglar to a roach.
The short recording of Odient and family members saying racial slurs went viral earlier this month and was even mentioned on “Saturday Night Live.” Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter have called for her to resign rather than remain on leave for a disciplinary process that can take years.
In the video, Odinet was looking at security footage of what appears to be a burglary at the judge’s home. As they watched the footage of two people capturing the suspect, Odinet and a few others are heard, but not seen, laughing and using racial slurs.
Odinet’s attorney, Dane Ciolino, has confirmed that it was her voice.
District Attorney Williams said the language is “deeply concerning to any person who genuinely cares about fair outcomes in our criminal system.”
“That a judge and former prosecutor so comfortably employed a racial epithet serves as a telling reminder that the attitudes which fostered mass incarceration continue to undermine our pursuit of equal justice,” Williams said in a written statement.
“Moreover, the casual dehumanization displayed by Judge Odinet raises serious questions about her impartiality and the presence of bias and discrimination in her work on the bench and during her time as a prosecutor.”
At the time of the video, Odinet said she had taken a sedative and did not remember the incident, but her attorney later admitted to CBS that Odinet is one of the voices heard in the video using the racial slur.
