Black judge apologizes for ousting whites from court

Jet, April 21, 2008

Fulton County (GA) Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington says he only wanted to get the attention of young Black men in trouble without dressing them down in front of Whites, explaining why he recently evicted Whites from his court.

"I wanted to have a fireside chat. And my grandmother said years ago that if you're going to fuss at Black people, you don't need to do it in front of White people," Arrington said.

Thursdays are sentencing days in Arrington's courtroom. And on a recent Thursday he asked all White people in the courtroom to leave. Then lectured the defendants, telling them that bad behavior in poorer Black neighborhoods drags down Black advancement.

Arrington, 67, called it a "Bill Cosby moment." He said the defendants and their families gave him a standing ovation after his 10-minute talk.

"I didn't know it was going to be so controversial. I probably made a bad judgment call and I probably won't do it again. It was not ill-intended. My heart was in the right place," he noted.

Arrington said he won't keep quiet in the future, but he'll be more inclusive.

--Associated Press