According to local media, a US judge is taking a leave of absence after footage taken at her house revealed a racist insult aimed at a burglar.
Judge Michelle Odinet of Lafayette, Louisiana, stated she had taken a sedative and had “zero recall” of the event in a statement. Voices can be heard describing CCTV video, which appears to be of a thief apprehended outside the judge’s home.
Unseen individuals use a derogatory term and compare the suspect to a bug. On Wednesday night, Judge Odinet’s counsel, Dane Ciolino, informed CBS News that one of the voices in the video belonged to her and that she uttered a derogatory insult.
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He said he will file a request for his client to be placed on unpaid leave on Thursday. “She feels ashamed, embarrassed, and remorseful for what she is done and the difficulties she is caused the community,” says the statement.
“Tomorrow, she’s going on interim leave without pay. And as far as what’ll happen in the longer term, she’ll have to deal with that in the weeks to come.”
The Current, a news outlet in Lafayette, quoted Judge Odinet as confirming in a statement to them that the footage had been recorded in her home. The statement said: “The incident [the burglary] shook me to my core and my mental state was fragile.”
“I have zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it,” the statement continued.
“Anyone who knows me and my husband, knows this is contrary to the way we live our lives.
“I am deeply sorry and ask for your forgiveness and understanding as my family and I deal with the emotional aftermath of this armed burglary.” Judge Odinet did not say whether she had used any of the racial epithets heard in the clip.
It is not clear who released the minute-long video, in which voices are heard laughing as they comment on security camera footage playing on a television, reportedly of a burglar being detained in front of the judge’s home. There are references to “mom” during the clip.
According to the US media, a 59-year-old black man, Ronald Handy, was detained on suspicion of breaking into a vehicle outside the judge’s home in the early hours of Saturday. Lafayette Police Sgt. Paul Mouton said that Mr. Handy was unarmed at the time of his arrest.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti-Defamation League are among organizations calling on the judge to resign.
