Court upholds judges’ removal for racist, sexist comments
The Alabama Supreme Court has upheld a decision removing a probate judge from office who was accused of racist and sexually inappropriate behavior that included showing an explicit video to an employee and making inappropriate comments after George Floyd’s murder by a police officer. The justices last week unanimously upheld the 2021 decision by the Court of the Judiciary — a disciplinary panel that hears complaints against judges — to remove Randy Jinks as Talladega County probate judge. “The record indicates that Judge Jinks made multiple racist and racially insensitive comments, engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct, engaged in inappropriate acts of anger and use of profanity,” justices wrote. The Alabama Court of the Judiciary, the panel tasked with hearing ethics complaints against judges, last year ruled that Jinks failed to uphold the integrity and independence of the court system. The initial complaint against Jinks included that he made derogatory comments about women and African Americans, including references to Floyd, whose death sparked nationwide protests. The panel ruled that there was clear and convincing evidence that Jinks had displayed inappropriate behavior that included showing an explicit video to an employee; asking an attorney if he knew of an acronym involving a racial slur; asking a Black employee if he was selling drugs after he purchased a new car, and other inappropriate comments. Jinks denied most of the claims and blamed workers for misinterpreting jokes. He appealed the decision, but the Supreme Court ruled there was evidence to support his removal from office. “Those acts were not isolated but occurred on a number of occasions while Judge Jinks was in the probate office acting in his capacity as the probate judge. Those acts were numerous enough to establish a pattern of objectionable behavior on the part of Judge Jinks,” the court wrote. Amanda Hardy, an attorney representing Jinks, issued a statement saying they respect the decision but “believe the judgment was inconsistent with the evidence adduced at trial.” “The system has been abused by a few individuals, and the Judicial Inquiry Commission’s prosecution and the Court of the Judiciary’s charging decisions now allows for great risks for all judges of all races and political parties in this state,” Hardy wrote in an email. Her statement added: “These governmental agencies have substantial power to discriminate based on the content or viewpoint of speech by suppressing disfavored speech or disliked speakers.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Judge Randy Jinks booted for racist, inappropriate behavior
A judge who oversees elections in an Alabama county was removed from office after being accused of racist, sexually inappropriate behavior that included demeaning comments about women and saying George Floyd “got what he deserved” when an officer in Minnesota murdered him. Talladega County Probate Judge Randy Jinks, 65, was ousted in a unanimous order filed Friday by the nine-member Alabama Court of the Judiciary. Following a trial, the panel found that he violated five judicial ethics rules including failing to uphold the integrity and independence of the court system. A former business owner who served as chairman of the county Republican executive committee, Jinks denied most of the claims, blamed workers for misinterpreting jokes, and accused employees of eavesdropping, court records showed. Jinks, who doesn’t have a law license, was first elected in 2018 and took office the following year. His conduct was the subject of a complaint filed in March that accused him of watching and sharing sexually inappropriate videos and making comments about the appearance and anatomy of women. Jinks also mouthed the n-word when referring to Black people, including during Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and told a deputy clerk that Black people get benefits and welfare “because of the color of their skin” that don’t go to white people, the complaint said. Jinks made multiple racist comments after Minneapolis police killed Floyd, a Black man whose death became a rallying point for protests nationally, including calling the victim “just another thug” and saying “he pretty much got what he deserved,” the complaint said. The court found that after Jinks saw a new automobile purchased by the only Black employee in the probate office, he remarked: “I seen that car. I can’t even — I’m the judge and I can’t even afford a Mercedes. What you doing, selling drugs?” Jinks also improperly tried to help a woman get an early release from a prison sentence imposed in a neighboring county, the court found. Jinks denied the allegations, and his lawyer released a statement to media outlets saying his remarks were taken “completely out of context” and viewed in a way to make Jinks look as bad as possible. The ruling can be appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court. Located east of Birmingham, Talladega County has about 80,000 residents. Jinks’ duties under state law included supervising elections in the county, and he also handled probate matters including wills. Probate judges under state law are not required to be attorneys. Jinks was elected to the Talladega County Commission in 1986 and worked six years on the staff of former Rep. Bob Riley, who later served two terms as Alabama governor. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
