Legal Law

Judge Steps Down After Accidental Lapse Into Hard R-ing – Above the Law

Notice of job termination

It’s not you. It’s me.

The new year is here and many have shared their “New Year, New Me” resolutions and soon-to-be-broken promises. Not this guy. I love bringing up old shit. Like that time a judge was recorded saying the N Word with more conviction than Paul Mooney. And guess who has a follow up!

[Michelle Odinet] has resigned from the Lafayette City Court, and admitted she was the one who used the N-word in video footage in which she and relatives narrated an alleged failed car burglary.

“I take full responsibility for the hurtful words I used to describe the individual who burglarized the vehicles at my home,[…] I am sorry for the pain that I have caused my community and ask for your forgiveness, as my words did not foster the public’s confidence and integrity for the judiciary.”

It’s cool that she was able to step down instead of being immediately fired. I’ve seen people get the boot because they sat down too long but hey, judges gotta keep their dignity. Speaking of, I imagine that this whole stepping down thing will make family reunions a little awkward — her son being the one to identify her as the repeated bomb dropper. Looks like he’s gonna get a bit of media training for his birthday. This is a Don’t Look Up reference. I would usually hyperlink you to a clip of what I’m referencing in the film, but it is still in theatres and I would hate to drop spoilers. Please clap, though.

But who knows what The Onion™ tier nonsense the future will bring? Will she become head of the diversity and inclusion committee when Trump is re-elected? Ring Salvation Army bells in the inner city (read: Black neighborhoods) to scrub clean her tarnished reputation? Or maybe she’ll just chill on the couch and watch passersby pass by. Judges tend to have good investments that keep them afloat either way. For now, farewell.

Louisiana Judge Who Claimed to Have ‘Zero Recollection’ of Racial Slur Video Resigns from Bench [Law and Crime]


Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

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