A New York watchdog panel says a judge who engaged in a prolonged, offensive rant after a melee erupted at a high school graduation party should be removed from office.
A New York state judge who engaged in a prolonged, offensive rant after a melee erupted at a high school graduation party should be removed from office, a judicial watchdog panel ruled.
State Supreme Court Justice Erin Gall, 53, invoked her authority as a judge to try to get uninvited guests arrested, threatened to shoot Black teenagers and bragged that her 18-year-old son had “put the smackdown” on another partygoer, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct said in its report issued Monday.
The commission found that Gall, a white Republican who has served as an elected judge in upstate Oneida County since 2012, “created at least the appearance that she harbored racial bias,” which could undermine public confidence in her integrity.
The judicial conduct panel said that “impropriety permeated” Gall’s conduct after the July 1, 2022 graduation party at a friend’s house got out of hand. “Her wide array of misconduct severely undermined public confidence in the judiciary and in her ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge,” the commission said in recommending her removal.
You’re not wrong, but the AP and Reuters go very far out of their way to not put value judgments in their headlines. They’re the most dry of the dry “just the facts” style of reporting.
It was profane, but that wasn’t the part that made it a big deal. She told the police to shoot the black teenagers, and when they said no we are definitely not doing that, she told them she had their back as far as protecting them if they did, and then after that said fine she would do it herself then.
Writing the headline without that in mind, I think, is at least a little misleading.
It wasn't even her or her kids' party. And who hires a bartender and keg for a high school graduation? And as an elected official, why would you stay at this party? There's so much wrong with this.
Gall testified during the investigation, saying that the violent skirmishes at the graduation party triggered memories of a 1990 assault she suffered as a college student. Julian did not dispute his client’s comments, but said she was in a “state of fear, dismay, frustration and exhaustion” when she made them.
Then, she should be removed from office. Fear won't make you say shit like this if you didn't already have it internalized and ready to go. She is clearly racist and shouldn't hold a seat of power.
Everyone: Cops are FUCKIN corrupt the whole system is dirty as fuck
Cops: This white lady in authority is out of her damn mind, no I am not arresting anybody I just want to get these kids their keys so everyone can be on about their business
System: Hey yeah she’s racist as fuck let’s get rid of her
(Just want to poke another hole in the ACAB narrative… this story includes some quotes from the cops on the scene telling the judge to STFU and they weren’t planning to arrest anybody and please to calm the fuck down so they could resolve everything and leave.)
It's definitely a sign when there's so few stories about police not escalating things and shooting unarmed minorities that when it happens you point to the story and say "See!? Everything's great!!!"