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Judge Olu Stevens Agrees To Suspension Over Racially Charged Comments

Decorative Scales of Justice in the Courtroom
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Decorative Scales of Justice in the Courtroom

A Kentucky judge facing possible banishment from the bench for racially charged comments aimed at a prosecutor has instead been suspended by the state Judicial Conduct Commission.

Olu Stevens, a circuit judge in Louisville, accepted a 90-day suspension without pay on Monday in an agreement with attorneys for the commission.

The agreement came at the start of a hearing that could have ushered Stevens off the bench for good.

A contrite Stevens admitted to violating judicial canons and said his social media onslaught against prosecutor Tom Wine was wrong. Stevens is black; Wine is white.

In a prepared written statement, Stevens said, "I recognize how serious it is to accuse someone, either expressly or implicitly, or racism. I do not believe Tom Wine is a racist. I apologize for any statements that implied as much."

In his statement, Stevens also pledged to rule on future cases "based solely on the facts and the law."

Stevens dismissed two juries in criminal cases with African-American defendants because they lacked black representation. After Wine asked the state Supreme Court to rule on whether Stevens had the authority to dismiss a jury because of its racial makeup, the judge claimed Wine was “advocating” for white juries.

In a statement, Wine said he accepted Stevens' apology and would not hold a grudge.

"I have had no personal animosity towards Judge Stevens and I have none now," Wine said. "I believe my energies and focus are better spent working for justice and fairness with our criminal justice partners and protecting victims of crime."

In provocative posts that threatened to end his judicial career, Stevens' comments ignited a debate about racial fairness, judicial impartiality and free speech for judges.