Judge NOT... The Lack Of Black Judges In Florida
- Details
- Category: Justice
- Published: Monday, 19 August 2013 21:44
The judicial system in Florida is under attack and it should be. The mishandling and unfair ruling of the George Zimmerman trial and the sentencing of Marissa Alexander, shows a lack of fair and equal judgment from the Bench when Blacks are involved. The 'Stand Your Ground' laws tend to be designed for the purpose of giving folk the right to kill Blacks at will without consequence.
The state stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if not billions of dollars because of this law as entertainers boycott the state. The law itself has been reviewed several times but more importantly it's the application of the law and the judicial ruling when a case using this defense comes before a judge.
The judges in Florida will follow the letter of the law, and not the spirit of the law. A judge will give the jury instructions and too often those instructions are to follow the letter of the law with no room for what is fair. This seems to especially happen when it comes to the fairness of Black people.
There is a serious lack of Black judges on the Bench. Since January, Gov. Scott has appointed 27 judges including only one Black judge.
Local organizations have sent the names of qualified Black lawyers to Gov. Scott's office on three separate occasions, but Gov. Scott is overlooking them. Gov. Scott is not just doing it in the 10th Circuit, he's doing it across the state.
Stacy Robinson Nickerson, a black lawyer in Lakeland, was on each of those lists. Each time, Scott passed over her name.
Stacy Robinson Nickerson taught classes at the Florida A&M University Law School in Orlando and has been a practicing attorney for over 15 years. Ms.Nickerson may consider running for a judgeship and I will support her. Not only because she is my niece, but because she is qualified and we need qualified Black Judges in Florida.