A Supreme Court justice in Alabama slammed liberal lawyers for using woke language in their filings with the court.
The Supreme Court justice scolded lawyers for Tiara Young Hudson, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama for reportedly capitalizing “Black” but not the term “white.”
The judge also stated in the opinion that putting pronouns in their signatures is an inappropriate attempt to influence the court.
The controversy arose after Hudson filed a lawsuit to block the transfer after she won an election for circuit court judge in Jefferson County before that judgeship was moved to Madison County, arguing that it violates the Alabama Constitution.
Hudson also argued that only the Legislature has the authority to reallocate judgeships.
In the opinion, the Supreme Court justice separately wrote a dissent, explaining “my concerns with certain aspects of Tiara Young Hudson’s submissions to the trial court and to this Court,” adding that the “statements of fact in Hudson’s complaint and opening brief begin by highlighting the fact that Hudson is “a Black female.” C. 19; Hudson’s brief at 6. Hudson then goes on to describe the races of various people who are involved in the case, even though their races also have nothing to do with the legal claim stated in her complaint or the questions presented on appeal.”
“It appears that Hudson spends so much time focusing on race — her own race, the races of JRAC’s members, and the racial demographics of Jefferson and Madison Counties — to insinuate that JRAC’s decision to reallocate the Jefferson County judgeship to Madison County was motivated by bigotry rather than by objective consideration of the factors listed in § 12-9A-1(d), Ala. Code 1975. But Hudson stops short of actually arguing that point or presenting any evidence in support of it,” the Justice added.
The dissent also referred to Hudson’s lawyers, claiming that “to turn around after making such a concession and insinuate that the reallocation decision was motivated by racism reveals, at a minimum, questionable professional judgment.”
“Hudson’s implicit accusations of racism are particularly puzzling given that her own filings use overtly biased language when referring to different racial groups. Those filings capitalize “Black” every time it appears but do not capitalize “white” anytime it appears, even when the two words appear side-by-side in the same sentence. The persistence of this pattern suggests that it is not an accident but instead a deliberate choice, the effect of which is to signal that certain races deserve heightened respect while others do not,” the opinion added.
