Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans in Columbia Pictures' White Chicks - 2004
Posted on 12/14/2004 12:37:40 PM PST by O.C. - Old Cracker
NEW ORLEANS -- The Louisiana Supreme Court has given a judge a six-month suspension for wearing blackface makeup, handcuffs and a jail jumpsuit to a Halloween party.
Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans in Columbia Pictures' White Chicks - 2004
Judge Timothy Ellender will lose all of his pay during the suspension. That totals more than $50,000.
Ellender, who is white, said the costumes worn by him and his wife were meant as a joke. She dressed as a policewoman. And the party's host, Ellender's brother-in-law, was dressed as Buckwheat.
The justices agreed Ellender did not mean to insult blacks. Still, they ordered him to take a sociology course to get "a greater understanding of racial sensitivity."
December 13. 2004 6:29PM
Houma judge suspended for wearing blackface Halloween costume
By Seth Fox
The Courier
HOUMA -- A white judge from Houma has been suspended for a year without pay for wearing blackface prison garb as a Halloween costume in 2003.
The state Supreme Court issued the reprimand today for state District Judge Timothy Ellender of Houma following a hearing that was held in October. The court deferred six months of the penalty, which means Ellender could return to the bench in six months provided he follow a stipulation that take a racial-sensitivity course at a local college.
A one-year suspension without pay had been recommended by the state Judiciary Commission, which commission investigates allegations of wrongdoing by lawyers and judges and recommends punishment.
The Supreme Court had several options. It could do nothing at all, publicly censure Ellender, impose the recommended suspension or remove him from the bench permanently.
The controversy began last fall when the Judiciary Commission received multiple complaints that Ellender, who is white, showed up to a private Halloween party dressed in a Terrebonne Parish prisoner’s uniform, handcuffs, black facepaint and a black Afro wig.
Ellender testified before the Judiciary Commission that he did not get the reaction he wanted from the costume when he showed up to the party without the black face paint. At the suggestion of his wife’s cousin, who was dressed as the television character Buckwheat, Ellender and his wife put on black makeup. Ellender’s wife dressed as a police officer for the party.
The judge’s actions sparked complaints from the Terrebonne branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. All of the parish’s other district judges later went on record denouncing Ellender’s actions.
Ellender’s attorney testified before the Supreme Court that the black Afro had no racial overtones and that it was simply a clown wig Ellender’s wife found in her closet.
Jerome Boykin, president of the local NAACP, said in October that Ellender has proven he is unfit to stand in judgment of others.
"Hopefully, they’ll remove Judge Ellender from the bench," Boykin said at the time. "That’s what we’ve proposed since day one."
"And it genuine, not Photoshopped"
Oh, dear. It genuine? That should be "it be genuine," doncha know?
Geez! Next thing you know, folks will start thinking they are free to say whatever they want!
Unce....Tice...Fee Times a Mady.
"Unce, tice, fee tines a mady."
This judge any relation to former U.S. Senator Allen Ellender (D-LA)??
"Una Panoonah Banka-a-a-a-a!!"
One of the best SNL sketches of the time.
Excuse the heck out of me, but this is indeed outrageous behavior in a judge. They were quite right to suspend him. Ever hear of "judicial temperament?" This idiotic display suggests that Ellender hasn't got any. A judge dumb enough and tasteless enough to wear blackface and prison garb as a joke shouldn't be on the bench anyhow.
Right up there with "C-I-L-L my land..LORD!"
There should be no charging someone with an act that was not illegal at the time it was committed.
Now here is a case for the ACLU.
Read again....this has nothing to do with illegality.
He was not charged with any crime. He was found in violation of Judicial conduct rules, which were certainly in place before he wore his costume.
And yes, Judges do give up some of their rights to maintain the dignity of the Judiciary as a whole.
No one is saying it was illegal and he was not convicted of any crime. His employer is the state, his boss is the state supreme court and his boss said I don't like what you did and I'm fining you for it, which they absolutely have the power to do. I agree that they shouldn't be so sensitive and that what he did doesn't warrant losing 6 months pay, but I also don't agree with a lot of things my boss does. And while it is a sad statement on the PC climate of today, I can't believe the Judge was so out of it that he did not think he would be roasted in the press if this got out.
If they implement mind control, Democrats will have nothing to lose.
I don't know but it seems that a sitting judge putting on black face and a prison jump suit to go with it just might send a different message than your brother with his white trash gag, unless your brother is black and oh, say a DA.
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