- A Louisiana judge Timothy Ellender appeared at a Halloween party in shackles, an afro wig and blackface makeup last year
Twelve days before Halloween, the state Supreme
Court will hold a hearing on a Louisiana Judiciary Commission
recommendation that a white Terrebonne Parish judge be suspended for a
year without pay for appearing at a Halloween party in a prison
jumpsuit and wearing shackles, an Afro wig and blackface makeup last
year. Timothy Ellender, who has been a judge in Terrebonne for more
than 20 years, at first called the resulting furor "a tempest in a
teapot" but later admitted in testimony before the Judiciary Commission
that his behavior had been offensive. NAACP leaders in Houma filed a
formal complaint asking the commission to recommend the removal of
Ellender for "an outrageous and distasteful demonstration of racial
insensitivity not befitting a judge or the dignity of judicial office."
In recommending his suspension, the commission said Ellender's
integrity and his ability to be fair and impartial toward black people
who appear before him as defendants in criminal and other court
proceedings "will be forever in doubt." [more 
] and [more ].
- Judge Timothy Ellender (Good Ol' White Boy) Appears in Blackface [more ]
- Judge's costume sparks complaints, national debate [more ]
- On CNN Ellender explained the following to Wolf Blitzer about the incident, "My
costume wasn't getting any laughs and everybody knew who I was - so
somebody at the party said, hey, somebody else was dressed as Buckwheat
so someone suggested I put some of this paint on my face and I did." [here ]
- Timothy Ellender is a registered Republican [more ]
- link to old post