Chief U.S. District Judge sends racially charged email about president

[kpete]

Source: Great Falls Tribune

Chief U.S. District Judge sends racially charged email about president

HELENA — Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull on Wednesday admitted to sending a racially charged email about President Barack Obama from his courthouse chambers.

..............................

The forwarded text reads as follow:

"Normally I don't send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine.

"A little boy said to his mother; 'Mommy, how come I'm black and you're white?'" the email joke reads. "His mother replied, 'Don't even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you're lucky you don't bark!'"

Read more: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120229/NEWS01/120229014/Chief-U-S-District-Judge-sends-racially-charged-email-about-president?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

[nobodyspecial]

1. Well, that certainly calls into question HIS

judgement.

[saras]

4. No, it doesn't. It defines the breadth, depth, and width of it. Completely.

No question at all. He's not competent to be a judge.

[freshwest]

17. +1,000. Think how many decisions he's based on his 'feelings' and not the law...

[Faygo Kid]

2. Lifetime appointment, but he's in trouble nonetheless.

He's in deep shit with his peers.

[PSPS]

21. You're right. I assume The Bar will take care of it. They can kick him off the bench.

He won't have any more cases to hear, that's for sure. They'll have to get a rubber stamp to approve the recusal requests that will now be filed with every case assigned to him.

[Sgent]

32. The bar cannot kick him off the bench

the can revoke his law license, but a law license isn't a requirement for an Article III judge.

Now the recusal issues could be a real burden for his fellow jurists, but the only way to remove him is via impeachment or resignation.

[PSPS]

38. I see.

So, I guess it will play out as these things usually do. Since all of his cases will now fall on the shoulders of the other judges, he'll get the cold shoulder from his fellow judges at the country club and cocktail party circuit until he resigns.

[rfranklin]

48. Or they may clap him on the back and buy him a drink...

there are a lot of right wing judges infesting the judiciary since the Republicans have spent the last thirty years appointing them.

[wilt the stilt]

3. Once Obama was elected

the racism just exploded. They are so filled with hate.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. So let's break down the gist of this "joke"

Barack Obama's mother was at a party where she got pretty drunk and had sex with numerous people and perhaps even a dog, and one of those people was Barack Obama's father. You see, because the President of the United States' mother (who, we might recall, earned a doctorate in anthropology) was a white woman who had the audacity to - gasp - enter into a relationship with and have sex with a black man - she must be a whore who fucks freely while drunk at parties, and even fucks animals!

Har har har! hey, it's just a joke, LIE-berals! Lighten up, will ya?

[nobodyspecial]

9. Yep, this is even more disgusting than most

And you should never trash talk a person's mother.

[2ndAmForComputers]

23. Precisely.

[spooky3]

28. You're right--it's both racist AND sexist.

Funny how those things seem to go together with some people.

[fasttense]

43. And to make it more awful, he said it touched his heart?

Normally people say things like that about loving, kindness shown to others, or little family scenes where love is evident. Not racists, sexist, jokes that disgusts most anyone who hears them. But for this judge, this joke filled his heart with something. I wonder what part of his truly concrete heart it touched?

To use a phrase that is normally used for loving scenes on this vile stupid joke is to be seriously steeped in blind hate. I feel sorry for any people of color who had to appear before this judge. You know hate like that comes out in many ways.

[Solly Mack]

66. Exactly.

[bluedigger]

6. He should resign immediately.

The people of Montana deserve better.

[snagglepuss]

7. An utter disgrace. Reprehensible.

Reprehensible.

[Lisa0825]

8. Holy Crap!

[Odin2005]

10. He needs to resign, IMMEDIATELY!!!

Dispicable.

[Skittles]

11. this guy is a JUDGE?

he needs to RESIGN

[indie_voter]

12. Disgusting. Can he be impeached?

[24601]

16. Impeachment is political, not judicial. At the end of the day, an impeachable act is whatever a

majority (in the House of Representatives) says it is.

Conviction on the other hand requires a Senate Trial. And the Senate can't hold a trial without Impeachment from the House.

It's explicit in the Constitution, Article I

House has sole power of Impeachment
Senate has sole power to try Impeachments

Will it happen here? Improbable.

[indie_voter]

20. True enough. "during good behavior" means different things

And I'm sure for some in the House in particular this is just fine.

[jaysunb]

13. Having been black for the past 68 years

this comes as no surprise at all. In my home state of Mississippi, you can have things like this said to your face and expect that you laugh along with them.

The only thing I find funny about this is, so many people acting so surprised and outraged....suddenly.

[1monster]

22. People who are not exposed to racism really are shocked.

I remember moving from farm country up north where we had only two black familes to the deep south in 1974. I was stunned at the overt racism. I won't say I'd never been exposed to racism before, but it was mild and usually from people who showed equal disrespect for others (of the same and different ethic groups as them).

Today, when I am subbing in classes that are studying the 1940s through the '60s civil rights movement, students, both white students and students of color, don't understand. They can't comprehend the overt, in-your-face racism that was so prevalent thirty-five years ago.

I think, in many cases the surprise is real; and that the outrage is real in most cases.

edit: for typo and grammar

[Tumbulu]

63. yes, I have observed the same things

I had the silly notion that we were all past this nonsense when the wrong wing hate machine churned it all up again and made it seem OK, somehow- at least among themselves. Although it has NEVER been OK !

[csziggy]

26. It's no surprise - it just makes me sad

That a supposedly well educated man in a position with a lot of power and responsibility feels it acceptable to spread this kind of racism veiled as humor. Especially about our President.

He should resign from his office and seek counseling - because a normal healthy person does not consider this acceptable on any level.

[nanabugg]

27. Think about it. Most white men in positions of power feel this way. What they have managed to keep

under hoods and behind closed doors has exploded into the open after Mr. Obama became President. After bin Laden was captured and killed it sent a lot of them over the edge.

[Democat]

46. People are surprised because a judge got caught doing it

These days they usually try to hide it or do it behind closed doors with no cameras.

[JJW]

14. His wife and children must be so proud of him!

[unkachuck]

18. hmmmmm....

"A little boy said to his mother; 'Mommy, how come I'm going to be a judge in Montana and you're not?'" the email joke reads. "His mother replied, 'Don't even go there Ricky! From what I can remember about Montana, I'm lucky you're not my brother!'"

[behrstar]

34. BWAHAHAHAHAHA

That's funny! But, I'm from Kentucky.

[Sanity Claws]

19. wow. I am left speechless.

Can you imagine how you would feel if you were African-American and had to appear in front of this guy as either a criminal defendant or as an attorney?

He should resign immediately.

I wonder who appointed him to the bench and how he was rated prior to his appointment.

[starroute]

24. A Bush appointee, not surprisingly

Can't find much else of interest about him. I'll update if I do.

[2ndAmForComputers]

25. I was going to post what I want to happen to this fucking bigot.

But that would get me in trouble, so I won't.

[yellowcanine]

29. However it is done, he needs to be gone. Resignation or impeachment. No excuse for this.

First of all, he should not be sending personal messages of any kind from his chambers and certainly not racist jokes. Should go without saying for a Federal Judge. He should be forced out.

[SunSeeker]

30. And he used Court resources to do it.

That MoFo should be fired. But he won't be. You pretty much gotta rape a toddler in the middle of a hearing to get removed from the federal bench. His "friends" that e-mail refers to are probably his fellow judges. I bet the rest of the bench up there in Montana is not a whole lot better.

[FailureToCommunicate]

31. "Hope it touches your heart like it did mine" ??!!?

Sexist, racist dirtbag hiding his white robe under a black robe.

[The Wizard]

33. Get a brain moran

Even if you think it's funny you don't send an email. Too stupid to judge others. Another failed Bush appointee who didn't get vetted or filibustered. The Bush curse still haunts us.

[dothemath]

56. the Bush Curse

Yes, the Bush Curse will plague us for at least another generation. It will take that long for the ranks of the 'maggot class' - Bush appointees - to pass on to the other side. A few will be left, but maybe it won't cause them to get a gun and shoot up the local nursing home. Or high school.

[RJ1988]

35. somebody need's to start one of those change.org petitions...

..to petition this guy to resign..

[EmeraldCityGrl]

36. Every ruling this scumsucker has made

negatively affecting an AA life needs to be reviewed and overturned if necessary.

This story cannot get lost in the news cycle. Not until this racist is removed
from the bench.

I read this and hope to god Obama doesn't become aware of it. It's insulting
beyond belief.

[Smilo]

37. Scum

Absolutely disgusting.

[BlueMTexpat]

39. As starroute pointed out above, this "moran"

is a Bush appointee.

Thanks to this idiocy, he now has his own Wiki entry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_F._Cebull

While I may not have my facts correct, I believe that the magistrate who was initially nominated by President Clinton to fill the Shanahan vacancy was an excellent one (can't remember his name unfortunately, perhaps some others here can remember) whose confirmation was held up by the GOP. Of course.

When I read about people like this from my home state, I know that what both mainstream political parties used to think of "back in the day" as the RW crazies and JBS believers (not mutually exclusive by any means) have certainly gained the ascendancy there. And we all are the losers. As a native Montanan, I am thoroughly ashamed by his antics.

Had a sitting judge in Montana made a remark even remotely comparable about Dubya, he or she would literally have needed federal protection from lynch mobs. If this POS does not voluntarily step down, major letter-writing campaigns to the Billings Gazette (http://billingsgazette.com/), the Great Falls Tribune (http://www.greatfallstribune.com/), the Missoulian (http://missoulian.com/), and the Helena Independent Record (http://helenair.com/) should heap the shame on him that he most thoroughly deserves.

Those are the major state newspapers. Here is a list of others with online presence: http://mt.gov/work/state_newspapers.asp

The Federal Bar should also get on his case: http://www.uscourts.gov/RulesAndPolicies/CodesOfConduct.aspx

[Monk06]

40. This is what happens when you have a judicial system where judges are elected or are political

appointees.

Such a system is not only corrupt but was designed to be corrupt. That is, it guarantees that the country will be ruled by laws created and administered by white bigots like Richard Cebull.

In any other system, such as the parliamentary system or the French republican system judges are appointed according to their academic and professional qualifications as well as the record of the cases they have presided over.

The good ol' boy system you have will doom the US to bad laws and corrupt implementation of good laws because all these corrupt county political hacks are bought off as soon as they leave law school.

[fasttense]

44. You are right about our judiciary being designed to be corrupt

If you are an excessively rich man, and you have a fair and accountable judiciary, your riches lose some of their value.

It becomes more difficult to bribe and buy off judges if they are held accountable and are selected based upon their merits. But if it is a corrupt sytem, you money not only buys stuff, it buys immunity from laws and becomes a barrier to your accountability. This is why the rich always prefer a corrupted system to a fair and equitable systems.

[MD20]

41. Grounds for review of cases involving Blacks

Nothing is going to happen to this guy! The very people who have the power to discipline him are probably his closest friends. These fellows party together,womanize together, and conspire together. Pondering that, I wonder how the message became public.

You can believe that damage control is in full swing and that an all out effort to find the leak has commenced with unbridled urgency! But, judging by the magistrate's arrogance, I would say that he really isn't too worried.
All of his CON-server buddies have patted him on the back and gave him the thumbs up sign. Its just good to know who he is and how he thinks. All of his cases involving Black people should be reviewed. And, should he be assigned to any cases involving Blacks in the future, their lawyers should immediately ask him to recuse himself.

[unionworks]

42. unreal

What year is this?

[Democat]

45. Every lawyer with a black client who has faced this judge should be working overtime right now

And any other minority.

What is to say that he can be fair to people who he considers dogs because of the color of their skin?

[lunatica]

47. I hope all minorities this judge has put behind bars can bring a civil suit against him

For obvious racism.

[INdemo]

49. Yes..but why repeat the joke

When Repukes makes comments or in this case, probably a right wing news rag, prints it,they only have to say it once because it is repeated over and over again and uually by Democrats..
A reputable news organization would not have repeated the joke and commented only about the racial slur..yet they printed the joke for their right wing readers and this news organization should be held accountable in some way.

[cloudbase]

51. Seems as though it's the judge

who screwed the pooch on this one.

[olegramps]

52. Although I would love to see him impeached, I will not hold my breath.

[Octafish]

53. ''Hope it touches your heart like it did mine.''

What kind of a heart is that, a klansman's?

[Poll_Blind]

54. Fucking sick. nt

PB

[colorado_ufo]

55. This is the kind of thing that should make Santorum want to vomit -

not a speech by a great man. It certainly made me want to vomit, especially with the realization that President Obama's mother is deceased. I just spent last weekend going through my own deceased mother's things, and a lot of tears were shed and memories relived.

[allan01]

57. Chief U.S. District Judge sends racially charged email about president

[allan01]

58. re: Chief U.S. District Judge sends racially charged email about president

If i talked like that , my mom would wash my mout out with soap! needs to apologize in front of Mr . Obama on national tv

[myrna minx]

59. Vile.

[brentspeak]

60. The racist joke "touched his heart", but of course he's no racist...

Non-apology. He should step down from the office he's just sullied.

[bayareaboy]

61. I got a feeling that an apology won't be coming ... ...

After all, RePUGs don't know how. Judges don't know how either.

[Erda]

62. I just called his office and left a message. . .

Contact: Judge Cebull's Chambers Main [phone].

Perhaps some of the other judges should be called as well.
http://www.mtd.uscourts.gov/contactus.html has the full listing

[Zambero]

64. Oh, the good judge was merely expressing his "Religious Freedom"

Whenever there is absolutely no defense for a shameful comment or action, conservatrives need never fear. There's a new "catch-all" excuse that will work every time, since after all God has granted us a free will to include freedom of speech, which must be steadfastly defended by true Christians and patriots!

[EC]

65. Isn't this an insult

to his mother? It sounds as if he's calling her a slut that may have had sex with a dog but can't remember because of being out of it.

He should step down. This is so insulting in so many ways and if he couldn't recognize that, he shouldn't be in any position to judge others.

[asfghjtyk]

67. Spam deleted by uppityperson (MIR Team)

[blackspade]

68. Scum Bag.

[spicegal]

69. That's really disgusting, coming from a judge no less.

This guy should step down, no two ways about it. How can there be any doubt that there's a very very strong thread of racism running throughout the GOP with regard to this president. How many of these racist emails, jokes, and comments have the GOP had to apologize (or not) for. Considering all the ones that gone public, can you imagine how many haven't?

[spicegal]

70. Wonder how many cases he's adjudicated involving African Americans or other minorities.

I believe this calls for an investigation , if not impeachment. He clearly has issues with race, and can't be impartial.

[Nitram]

71. I'm surprised

that the emphasis seems to be on the racist content of the message rather than the implication that Obama's mother participated in bestiality. Both are disgusting, but the latter goes over the top in so many ways.