A judge in Alabama is out of a job after making comments that many found to be deeply offensive.
Nearly eight months ago, a 78-page complaint was filed against Talladega County Probate Judge Randy Jinks. In the lengthy complaint, former county employees alleged Jinks called George Floyd “just another thug” and “he got what he deserved.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with the police killing him,” Jinks said, according to the complaint.
The 78-page complaint also claims that he mouthed the word, ‘n—–’ at a former deputy clerk and threatened to fire an employee if they continued to participate in social justice marches. In another instance, Jinks is accused of insinuating that a Black worker sold drugs because they had a nicer car than him.
“I’m the judge and I can’t even afford a Mercedes. What you doing, selling drugs?”
Jinks has denied the allegations made against him. Instead, he claims that his “remarks were taken completely out of context.”
“Judge Jinks remarks were taken completely out of context and cast in a light calculated to besmirch the judge’s character and further the accusatory employees attempts to remove him from office. Racism was imputed into the statements he made. His every action and utterance was documented and interpreted in the worst possible light,” Jinks’ attorney, Amanda Hardy, told <AL.com>. “A few employees made this very serious public allegation against a public official based on pure speculation and that is what the evidence showed. Closer scrutiny should have led to a more measured response to this case.”
Ultimately, a nine-person panel was compelled by the 78-page report and voted unanimously to remove him from his position. Not only did the panel take issue with the statements Jinks is accused of making, but the panel also determined that he displayed “a sexually inappropriate demeanor.” The panel also determined that he “showed a subordinate a sexually explicit video in the workplace.”
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text ‘STRENGTH’ to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. These additional resources are also available:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
