Ex-Judge Reprimanded for Training Conference Remarks
A former Mississippi judge has been reprimanded for disparaging remarks about African-Americans she made at a drug court training conference.
The judge, Nicki Boland of Hinds County, was defeated when she ran for re-election last fall. During the Dallas conference held in 2005, Boland became upset with the county drug court planning team attending the conference with her. According to a complaint by the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance, Boland said that as far as she was concerned “the African-American community can just go to hell,” the Associated Press reports. She also was accused of saying members of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors were not intelligent.
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled (PDF) that Boland’s conduct was prejudicial to the administration of justice and ordered her to pay costs of $4,100.
The court noted Boland’s testimony that she felt sick during the conference and she had been helping Hurricane Katrina victims before arriving there. She said she was exhausted when she made the remarks and was expressing frustrations that county supervisors were ignorant of the drug court process.
Boland also had claimed her statements were protected by the First Amendment, an argument the court rejected. “While Judge Boland argues to the contrary, these remarks were disparaging insults and not matters of legitimate public concern,” the court said.
