Alabama Judge Suspended Amid Controversy

An Alabama probate judge has been suspended following allegations of making a racially insensitive remark and postponing a crucial hearing for a patient in the hospital who needed to walk his dog, as detailed in court files.

Judge Yashiba Blanchard is facing numerous claims of mismanagement, which have reportedly led to a significant backlog of cases. One attorney even expressed concern that his client might “die” if hearings weren’t held as planned.

A complaint submitted by the Judicial Review Commission highlights Blanchard’s consistent tardiness and her failure to address involuntary commitment cases for nine months after taking office, leaving patients stuck in psychiatric wards. At one point, she supposedly told her staff that the delay in her paperwork was due to her walking her three dogs.

Hospital staff expressed their outrage last year, reaching out to Blanchard’s office about the cancellation of a hearing. They warned that this could extend hospitalizations by an additional two weeks due to lack of timely access to hearings. They noted, “Today’s actions are difficult to reconcile with our shared responsibility to ensure patients receive timely due process and appropriate, least restrictive care.”

In another instance noted in the complaint, an attorney frantically pleaded in an email not to delay a hearing, worried that his client would not survive without a timely resolution.

Blanchard is also accused of targeting Chief Clerk Amanda Reed, with allegations that she made a racially charged comment. After a court official mentioned a preference for “white leads”, Blanchard reportedly replied, “Oh, I forgot about you guys, like kissing white ass.”

Furthermore, she allegedly moved Reed’s desk to a location less convenient after Reed responded to a subpoena from the Judicial Review Board. Overall, Blanchard faces seven charges of violating various provisions of the Alabama Judicial Ethics Code and has been suspended indefinitely.