Black Judge Orders White Lawyers Out Of Atlanta Courtroom

This incident happened earlier this year, but it does bring up some issues.

Georgia Judge Marvin Arrington is accused of telling white lawyers to leave his courtroom and then lecturing young black defendants.

Once again, whether ordering criminal defendants to court (here) or ordering prayer circle in court (here,) judges seem to be increasingly forgetting their limits in creative sentencing or cathartic conduct. When you add a racial element, it becomes a particularly worrisome trend.


by JaQuitta Williams

Judge Marvin Arrington insists he’s not a racist; despite ordering white lawyers out of his courtroom on Thursday.

The Fulton County Superior Court judge said he was just fed up seeing a parade of young black defendants in his courtroom. “I came out and saw the defendants, about 99.9 percent Afro-Americans, and some point time I excused some of the lawyers, most of them white, and said to the young people in here ‘What in the world are you doing with your lives,’” he told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter JaQuitta Williams.

“I didn’t want them to think I was talking down to them; trying to embarrass them or insult them; be derogatory towards them and I was just saying ‘Please get yourself together,’” he said.

Arrington added that he may make a similar speech next week, but this time he’ll allow everyone to hear it.

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