Cook County Judge Removed After Outrage Over Conspiracy-Filled Rhetoric.
A judge has been removed from the bench in Illinois after facing criticism for making inflammatory and conspiracy-filled remarks. The Illinois Supreme Court vacated James Brown's temporary assignment, which was meant to last through December 7, following objections from two lawyer groups who deemed his comments "wildly inappropriate".
Brown's removal is effective immediately and comes days after Injustice Watch published a story about the outcry. Before his reinstatement in September, Brown wrote a guest column for John Kass News, a site operated by former Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, echoing far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
The Cook County Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers publicly called on the Supreme Court to remove Brown from the bench, citing concerns about his impartiality based on his remarks. They argued that he had run afoul of the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits judges from expressing bias or prejudice while running for office or serving.
The Illinois Supreme Court stated in an unsigned statement that Brown's comments "clearly violate" a rule requiring judges to act in ways that promote public confidence in the judiciary. The justices also noted that his impartiality as a judge might reasonably be questioned based on his blog post, which was not disclosed during his application process.
Brown declined to comment on this story but later addressed the controversy on a conservative talk radio program. In his remarks, he expressed disdain for conservatives and suggested that the Illinois Supreme Court was "caving to the mob".
A judge has been removed from the bench in Illinois after facing criticism for making inflammatory and conspiracy-filled remarks. The Illinois Supreme Court vacated James Brown's temporary assignment, which was meant to last through December 7, following objections from two lawyer groups who deemed his comments "wildly inappropriate".
Brown's removal is effective immediately and comes days after Injustice Watch published a story about the outcry. Before his reinstatement in September, Brown wrote a guest column for John Kass News, a site operated by former Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, echoing far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
The Cook County Bar Association and the Chicago Council of Lawyers publicly called on the Supreme Court to remove Brown from the bench, citing concerns about his impartiality based on his remarks. They argued that he had run afoul of the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits judges from expressing bias or prejudice while running for office or serving.
The Illinois Supreme Court stated in an unsigned statement that Brown's comments "clearly violate" a rule requiring judges to act in ways that promote public confidence in the judiciary. The justices also noted that his impartiality as a judge might reasonably be questioned based on his blog post, which was not disclosed during his application process.
Brown declined to comment on this story but later addressed the controversy on a conservative talk radio program. In his remarks, he expressed disdain for conservatives and suggested that the Illinois Supreme Court was "caving to the mob".
. I mean, you'd think that when someone applies for a job as a judge, they're supposed to put aside their personal views and opinions, right? It seems like James Brown thought he was above all that, and now he's got himself into a whole mess of trouble 
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. And honestly, I'm not sure how much more trust we can put in someone who doesn't seem to be willing to listen to opposing viewpoints or consider the facts 
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. Maybe this will serve as a reminder to future applicants what kind of behavior is expected from judges, and how important impartiality really is 
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. But at the same time, I think we need to be careful not to overstep and censor people just because their views are unpopular 
... I mean, who wouldn't want to serve the community, right? But it looks like his words caused some major problems 
But on another hand, maybe this is an opportunity for us to have a bigger conversation about what constitutes "conspiracy-filled rhetoric" 
. The thing that gets me is how this happened - wasn't he vetted properly before taking office? That's some serious red flag waving 
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brown's removal is a big deal because it sets a precedent for how judges are held accountable for their words...and let's be real, this just fuels the fire of "both sides" discourse 
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. I mean, if you can't even talk about cases without mentioning fake news or whatnot, then you shouldn't be on the bench at all 
. And now he's got people questioning his credibility? Yeah, that's a problem 
. The whole thing is just a mess, and I'm not surprised they had to step in to remove him ASAP 
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It's not like he was spewing hate speech or anything, just some... interesting opinions. 
. Brown's removal is a good thing, but I'm still wondering how this guy even made it to the bench in the first place 
but super unprofessional. can't even get hired without being vetted for bias? seems fishy. and what's with the mob comment? sounds like he's trying way too hard to stir up drama 
. maybe next time brown wanna make some waves, try being more considerate of others' feelings 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around it... remember when judges were supposed to be impartial and not make waves? now it seems like they're just as bad as politicians 
seriously though, this is exactly why we need to be vigilant about holding our elected officials (and judges) accountable for their words and actions... it's like they think they're above the law or something 
. I mean, we're supposed to be promoting public confidence in the judiciary, not fueling division and conspiracy theories 
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. Like, if you're going to spread wild misinformation, at least have the guts to be honest about it 
. We need judges who can remain impartial and make decisions based on the law, not personal agendas or biases 
. Let's hope this sends a message that our justice system is committed to fairness and integrity 
), I get how this stuff affects people. You see it on social media, where just one bad post can get everyone fired up. But in real life, that kinda rhetoric can actually do some serious harm 
, I'm so disappointed in what's happening with the judiciary system in Illinois. It seems like conspiracy theories are taking over and messing up everything. How can a judge just make inflammatory comments and get away with it? 
. I mean, come on, judges are supposed to be impartial & fair, not stirring up drama like that 
. It's crazy how his comments went from being a guest column to getting everyone upset 
. Now we gotta wonder what other skeletons he might have been hiding under those robes 
. Guess this is a reminder that our judges should be held to a higher standard of integrity & respect for the law 