Louisiana judge caught using racial slur has resigned

A Louisiana judge caught on video using a racial slur resigned from her position on Friday. 

Michelle Odinet, who was a judge in the City Court of Lafayette, resigned in a letter to the Louisiana Supreme Court’s chief justice. In the letter, she said her decision came “after much reflection and prayer, and in order to facilitate healing within the community,” according to The New York Times. 

While watching security camera footage of an attempted car break-in on Dec. 11, Odinet could be heard repeatedly saying a racial slur as people laughed off camera. The video was later released to local news as well as civil rights groups, including the local NAACP branch, the Times reported. 

In her letter Friday, Odinet said, “I take full responsibility for the hurtful words I used to describe the individual who burglarized the vehicles at my home.”

“I am sorry for the pain that I have caused my community and ask for your forgiveness, as my words did not foster the public’s confidence and integrity for the judiciary,” she added.

Dane Ciolino, Odinet’s attorney, said, “She understands that she’s done with being a judge, but she’s just starting her efforts to try to earn forgiveness from her community.” 

“She knows that’s going to be a long haul,” he added, per the Times. 

Odinet is a Republican and was elected as a Lafayette city judge in November 2020. She was formerly a prosecutor for the district attorney’s offices in New Orleans and Lafayette, the Times noted.