Photo: City Court Layfayette Louisiana
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and the National Bar Association joined calls for Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet to resign over a racist video filmed at her home over the weekend.
Odinet’s attorney Dane Ciolino confirmed Thursday the judge has notified the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana that she is taking an unpaid leave from the court to consider her path forward.
“She’s ready to accept an unpaid leave,” Ciolino said. “As for what long-term plans she might have, she’s going to think about that over the next few weeks and figure out what’s best for her and the community and go from there.”
Ciolino said there is not a determined timeline for Odinet’s period of leave yet. An interim judge will be appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court.The judge is “embarrassed and humiliated and sorry for what she has done and the harm she has caused to the community,” he told KLFY Wednesday.
“I know that the judge has taken a period of unpaid leave to reflect on what her next move should be, and I believe she has all but acknowledged that the words uttered in that video were hers,” Edwards said Thursday.
“Quite frankly, there’s no place for that kind of language, especially among members of the judiciary who have the most important role in administering justice in our state.” Read more.
