I-TEAM: Judge accuses DA’s office of wanting to ‘stick every ni**er in jail’

Scottie Hunter

Published: May. 14, 2024 at 6:54 PM EDT

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Prosecutors with District Attorney Hillar Moore’s office recently found themselves before a district court judge who accused the DA’s office of just wanting to “stick every ni**er in jail,” according to a court transcript of the April 2024 proceeding inside the 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge.

View the transcript below:

Court transcript showing Judge Johnson- Rose's profanity-laced rant during bench conference.

Court transcript showing Judge Johnson- Rose's profanity-laced rant during bench conference.(WAFB)

Judge Eboni Johnson Rose made those comments shortly after questioning prosecutors about multiple delays in the case of a Black man accused of domestic violence.

She said it appeared prosecutors had not even contacted the alleged abuse victim in two years. When asked about it, one of the prosecutors explained to the judge that he had just gotten the case.

According to the court minutes, things came to a head when Judge Rose realized this was the fourth time the case would be rescheduled. That’s when she called attorneys to the bench for a conference and things went off the rails.

Judge Rose told prosecutors if they could not bring forward a witness that very day she was not going to let the man plead guilty to anything.

“He won’t be able to get this sh*t expunged off his record,” the judge said. “Most people don’t care about young black men but I do and he won’t be able to have no firearms.”

The judge also explains her theory to prosecutors as to why she believes they have not been able to contact the victim.

“It’s a reason that they couldn’t get her - because she don’t want to be here,” the judge said.

According to the transcript, Judge Rose then accused the District Attorney’s Office of targeting black people:

JUDGE ROSE: The young man doesn’t have any fricking felonies. And, I know that the DA probably wants every young black man in prison, but I don’t. And I’m going to give these young people the opportunity to have a life. And I hope that’s what ya’ll want too.

PROSECUTOR MORGAN: Of course, your honor.

JUDGE ROSE: This is the fourth time. And this case is god damn four years old now. And that’s the best that ya’ll can come up with? You’re just going to, what, stick every ni**er in jail?”

PROSECUTOR MORGAN: Your honor, that is not at all the intention of the District Attorney’s Office.

The court minutes reflect that Judge Rose uses the actual slur during the proceeding.

19th Judicial District Attorney Hillar Moore was appalled by the comments made by the judge. He said he does not believe the comments to be her true feelings, adding that she is a nice woman. He did; however, fire back against her accusations against his office, calling them wrong.

“It’s just completely and wholly untrue,” said Moore. " We do not see our cases that come in as color. We see them as victims and defendants and we treat them all alike. It doesn’t matter what their color is.”

LSU law professor Ken Levy calls the comments improper.

“It’s inappropriate. Judges of all people should not be using that kind of language,” said Levy. “I understand she was angry and upset and maybe even justifiably so, but as a judge, you just can’t use that kind of language.”

The judge ended her courtroom rant by saying that she wants to do the right thing. However, her version of the right thing has been put in question recently.

“It’s not a good look for the judiciary,” said Levy.

Last month, the State Supreme Court said Judge Rose flat out made a mistake on the bench in the case of Bridgette Digerolamo, a woman who was accused of waving a gun at a group of people who were driving through her neighborhood and pushing flood waters toward her home. Justices said Judge Rose broke the rules by getting with the jury - privately- even after she had accepted their verdict. That led to the jury re-considering the case, and eventually changing their verdict. The supreme court unanimously cleared the woman of all charges.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5528714&forum_id=2#47662808)