A San Francisco judge, appointed by a Democrat, is facing considerable backlash for his ongoing use of a racial slur in court. Judge Harry Dorfman, who is white, has reportedly used the N-word multiple times, leading to criticism from black public defenders.
Deputy public defender Phoenix Streets expressed how this behavior evokes painful memories from his childhood in Arkansas. He recalled instances where white men with rifles would drive by, hurling racial abuse at his family.
He shared another experience from his past, recounting how a friend’s father, in a misguided attempt at flattery, remarked on his intelligence by implying he was “smart for a n––,” suggesting a lack of understanding of the implications of such statements.
During a court session last year, Dorfman quoted a person who used the slur without any abbreviation. In another instance, when a defense attorney mentioned it, the judge insisted the attorney use the full term.
One public defender requested that the judge refrain from using the word, to which Dorfman responded negatively, asserting that quoting evidence was important and didn’t constitute an insult.
In 2022, San Francisco public defender Mano Raju filed a complaint regarding the judge’s use of the slur in open court, stating that Dorfman seemed unaware of the impact of his words and failed to consider alternative approaches to present evidence.
No disciplinary action followed against Dorfman, and a request for intervention from Raju’s office was also disregarded by the Superior Court.
Instead, Dorfman held Raju in contempt for not agreeing to take on additional cases, fining him $26,000 in total, equating to $1,000 for each of the 26 defendants he chose not to represent. However, shortly after, the First District Court of Appeal blocked the enforcement of this substantial fine.
Dorfman was appointed to his judicial position by former California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, back in 2013.
