Fallout continues for Judge Lafayette who was filmed using racist slurs

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BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (WAFB) – The fallout continues for a judge Lafayette filmed using racist and derogatory language.

The Louisiana Supreme Court on Friday temporarily suspended Michelle Odinet without pay while it further investigates the allegations against her.

The court declared that Judge Odinet is “prevented from exercising judicial functions, without pay, for the duration of subsequent proceedings in these cases”.

It comes a day after Governor John Bel Edwards called on her to step down. A Baton Rouge lawyer described the images as “disgusting” and “unacceptable”.

“He is a person who is expected to pass judgment fairly and impartially. This is the system that we have in our society. It is quite clear that this person is not capable of having a fair and impartial judgment on anyone who is not like him, ”said Jarrett Ambeau of the Ambeau law firm.

The video in question catches Odinet laughing and using the N word to describe a man who tried to break into her home. We also hear Odinet compare man to a cockroach.

“You have to have a consistent set of beliefs with that to say these things. She thought she was safe in this environment to express what she was feeling. She didn’t know someone was filming him. She didn’t know it would become public, ”Ambeau said.

The Supreme Court appointed Lafayette’s first black judge in his place pending the investigation.

Ambeau said he had never seen the Supreme Court move so quickly to make this type of decision.

“I think the Supreme Court’s swift action here shows how frankly shocking its behavior has been,” Ambeau said.

Ambeau believes that Odinet will resign or end up being sacked, which involves a long and complex process.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that she is going to be sent back for legal proceedings,” Ambeau said.

Ambeau said a big concern was the backlash that could come from any black person she might have convicted in the past.

“How can a person before her come before her and think that I was really shaken up,” Ambeau asked.

He said it could be new evidence for another judge to reopen a case.

“If there could be a review of his sentences, and is there a significant disparity between his conviction of blacks and whites? Is there a significant disparity between his condemnation of dark people? You know, people of Spanish and Mexican descent. Can you go see this, and see? If so, it becomes a huge problem. A huge problem, ”said Ambeau.

Ambeau said this video is proof that we still have a lot of work to do in the company.

“The public shouldn’t take this as an indication of how judges are, but the fact that we still have these issues, we should be watching out for. We have to be on the lookout for people who behave in this way, that’s for sure, ”said Ambeau.

Odinet’s son, who is also said to be in the video, was taken off the LSU track team this week. While they did not directly address his dismissal, the team released a statement on Facebook saying in part, “We will never tolerate racism.”

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