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Judge Regrets Kicking Out White Lawyers

CNN
Posted: 2008-04-02 12:55:37
Filed Under: Law News, Nation News
(April 2) - An Atlanta, Georgia, judge who ordered white lawyers out of his courtroom so he could lecture African-American defendants called that decision a "mistake" Tuesday night.

"In retrospect, it was a mistake," Judge Marvin Arrington told CNN. "Because my sheriff said to me, 'Judge, that message should be given to everybody' -- 'Don't violate the law, make something out of yourself, go to school, find a role model, somebody that will help you advance your life.'"

Arrington, who is African-American, is a judge in Fulton County, Georgia, which includes the city of Atlanta.

He said he got fed up seeing a parade of young black defendants shuffle into his courtroom and decided to address them one day last week -- out of the earshot of white lawyers.

"I came out and saw the defendants, and it was about 99.9 percent Afro-Americans," Arrington told CNN affiliate WSB-TV of Atlanta, "and at some point in time, I excused some lawyers -- most of them white -- and said to the young people in here, 'What in the world are you doing with your lives?'"

What's Your Take?

The judge thought his message would make a greater impact if he delivered it to a black-only audience, he said.

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

In his Tuesday night appearance on CNN, Arrington told Anderson Cooper that that seeing the same faces walk in and out of his courtroom year after year takes its toll.

"I ask them all the the time, 'What progress are we making with you?' And sometime they cannot answer," he said.

He said he would open his court doors to everyone on Thursday and "I am going to give the same identical speech: 'You've got to do better.'"

2008-04-02 10:03:11
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Recent Comments

1 - 10 of 4678
4678 comments

wititio03 05:47:20 PM Jul 06 2008

the one that have to be remove from court is the judge, we dont need racist judge in our system

tydemtg1 02:03:03 PM May 21 2008

Blacks blame the whites for all their problems. My question is how come they generally have such trashy neighborhoods and the kids getting in trouble all the time. Do the whites make them live like this. Where is the pride in the black community or are they afraid they are being to much like the whites by cleaning up their act and working hard to have a trouble free family. This does not go for all blacks or whites for that matter but is a generalization.

oddeith 12:15:16 PM Apr 18 2008

Whenever white people are accused of racism the Black community will say racism is taught. In othet words it is passed down from father to son. I guess if some of these black kids knew or know were their father is they taught them Bank robbing and auto thieft.

batsonbeth 07:55:50 PM Apr 09 2008

I am appalled that this happened. I am afraid that if a white judge had excused black lawyers from the court room it would have been labeled a racial thing. What a double standard we have in this country!!!!! Not all whites hate blacks and vice versa. It is only stupid ignorant people who hate others for the color of their skin. I teach my children that all people are equal.

GO McCain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Betn in South Carolina

va0330 09:29:00 AM Apr 06 2008

Why bother with a lecture at all! These black kids are taught at home that education is for chumps and all non-black people are at fault for their situation. They have no respect for life or private property at all and it's not just in the US that their crime spree has escalated....every black country in Africa, over 100, is slaughtering each other like animals, except for 2 countries! Black culture is a culture of violence, racism, and hatred! Quit blaming whites and everyone else for your problems and using it as an excuse for more violence.

adamv1968 05:06:03 AM Apr 06 2008

birdflukfc 09:36:39 PM Apr 03 2008

Report This! ya white folks dont understand our talk once ya can figure it out then we all will get along

yea once we learn to talk animal than everything will be fine

pvcwife 10:27:30 AM Apr 05 2008

dshot59 07:09:23 PM Apr 04 2008

Report This! in retrospect it was racist. if the judge was white reverand al and his cronies would be all over this shlt cryin and bitchin like little babies,tell me it ain`t so.
dshot59 07:28:31 PM Apr 04 2008

Report This! where`s our apology ? ya nappy headed azz-ho.
_______________________________________________________
Absolutely! Where is the justice for this form of racism against whites?

onslow1066 12:32:27 AM Apr 05 2008

THE BLACKS DO NOT TALK ENGLISH.
THEY SAY THEY DON'T NEED TO, BUT IF THE TRUTH WERE KNOWN, THEY CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT. IT'S WAY TOO HARD FOR THEM, SO THEY MAKE UP THIS MUMBO JUMBO TALK.
HAAA HAAAAA HAAAAAA. IT MAKES US WHITE BOYS LAUGH !!!!

dshot59 07:28:31 PM Apr 04 2008

where`s our apology ? ya nappy headed azz-ho.

dshot59 07:09:23 PM Apr 04 2008

in retrospect it was racist. if the judge was white reverand al and his cronies would be all over this shlt cryin and bitchin like little babies,tell me it ain`t so.

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