Judge s remarks show she often assumes guilt
Judge s remarks show she often assumes guiltExperts on judicial ethics say Judge Sandra McLaughlin s flip remarks violate the Code of Judicial Conduct, which says judges muspatagonia better sweater woment perfpatagonia better sweater hoodyorm their duties impartially and in a way that promotes confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary. Professor Monroe Freedman of Hofstra Law School said in an email that McLaughlin s comments demonstrate bias and the appearance of bias based on charges and that she should not be on the bench. Judge s remarks show she often assumes guilt Experts on judicial ethics say Judge Sandra McLpatagonia trail running shoes review3aughlin s flip remarks violate the Code of Judicial Conduct, which says judges must perform their duties impartially and in a way that promotes confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary. He was exonerated after the Louisville Metro Police surgeon determined the alleged victim s wounds were self inflicted.But in McLaughlin s court, the presumption of innocence one of the most sacred principles in the American criminal justice system is often forgotten, The Courier Journal found in a review of videos of dozens of her arraignments.To a defendant charged with a drug offense who said he has a job apatagonia discount codend was in school, she asked: How do you do all that? Go to school, work, and traffic cocaine? You re very busy. To a defendant charged with shoplifting who said he would contact his family to get money to post bond, she said: You should have contacted them for money instead of stealing. To a defendant charged with theft, she asked: So that s your job? Stealing from people when you clean their house? Experts on judicial ethics say McLaughlin s flip remarks violate the Code of Judicial Conduct, which says judges must perform their duties impartially and in a way that promotes confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary. Professor Monroe Freedman of Hofstra Law School said in an email thatpatagonia trail running shoes review0 McLaughlin s comments dempatagonia lake homes for saleonstrate bias and the appearance of bias based on charges and that she should not be on the bench. In an interview, McLaughlin acknowledged that some of her remarks were inappropriate andpatagonia trail running shoes review spring from a frustration with defendants refusal to comply with the buy patagonia clothing productslaw. Sometimes I just want to shake them and say, What were you thinking? She said she was just kidding when she said Bakken s wife should have stabbed him. She also said other judges make similar comments, and provided a reporter with transcripts of remarks by another district judge, Sean Delahapatagonia trail running shoes review2nty, in which he told a defendant previously convicted of theft and charged with another one that he was a terrible criminal but probably will make an excellent convict. He told another charged with assault that he was fortunate to be a bad shot. Brian Butler, a lawyer who McLaughlin asked to sit in on the interview, said judges have to presume allegations to be true and look at people s criminal record for purpose of setting bond. He said that while some of McLaughlin s comments could have been worded differently, judges sometimes make extrajudicial remarks to send a message to defendants to mend their ways.But in an email, the University of Minnesota s Stephen M. Simon, an emeritus clinical professor of law who trains all new Minnesota judges on ethics, said that such remarks even when made at arraignment, where charges are read and bail is set foster a perception that the system is unfair, and that can contribute to community unrest.Jefferson County Attorney Mike O Connell, whose office prosecutes cases in McLaughlin s court, declined to comment, while Jay Lambert, a supervisor and director of training in the metro public defender s office said: For a judge to imply a defendant s guilt at arraignment strips the defendant of the presumption of innocence, demonstrates the judge s clpatagonia everlong review 4kear alignment with the prosecution and sends a message that, in the judge s estimation, it is useless to challenge the prosecution s case. It is judicial misconduct of the highest order, he said.MORE : Judge Sandra L. McLaughlin in her own wordsEARLIER: McLaughlin got poor marks in surveyMcLaughlin, 56, who is finishing her first four year term, faces an election challenge from former Dipatagonia guide jacket qvcstrict Judge Matt Eckert.She is by far the lowest rated of Jefferson s 17 district court judges: Only 26 percent of the 120 lawyers who evaluated her in a Louisville Bar Association survey released in June said they were generally satisfied with her performance. The average score was 80 percent and the next lowest mark was 56 patagonia trail running shoes review1percent.McLaughlin said she is rated poorly because the evaluation is dominated by defense lawyers who don t like the fact that she sets high bonds and is tough on defendants. I think I do a really good job balancing the rights of defendants and victims and sometimes victims are forgotten, she said. I feel a profound sense of responsibility to keep the communitpatagonia messenger bag tutorialy safpatagonia messenger bag uniquee.
