recusal of black judge called for after she calls out racist system

After publicly criticizing prosecutors for the disproportionately high incarceration rates of Blacks, Louisiana’s two state judges are asking that 16th Judicial District Court Judge Lori Landry, a Black woman, be recused from more than 300 criminal cases. Said prosecutors are arguing that Judge Landry’s astute and well-informed position suggests that she is “biased or prejudiced against (the DA’s office) such that she cannot be fair or impartial.”

Additionally, First Assistant District Attorney Robert Vines, a white man, argues in favor of the recusal citing Landry has “engaged in abusive, inappropriate and/or bullying behavior” towards other prosecutors, DA office state, victims and witnesses. Kind of a convenient time to bring this up, wouldn’t you say?

“This is a violation of the constitutional rights of the people who elected me,” The Daily Iberian quoted Landry last month during a hearing, around the same time Vines began filing recusal motions in cases on her docket.

“We know of the trickery and injustice that is happening in the 16th JDC with this very targeted, bullying, and racist tactic to have Judge Landry removed from hearing all criminal cases in the 16th JDC because she does not want to play jump rope or be friends with the DA Office,” Robby Carrier-Bethel posted on Facebook. “Judge Landry is honorable, and a woman of God that has brought compassion, integrity and judicial fairness with her to the bench (something all of them should have).”

Local prosecutors have outlined at least 30 instances where they argue the case of Judge Landry’s bias, as outlined by USA Today.

What are your thoughts?