Monday, August 13, 2007

Las Vegas Judge Sacked for MySpace Page

Via theregister.co.uk -

A North Las Vegas judge has been sacked after telling MySpace readers that his interests include physically beating prosecutors - or words to that effect.

In a post to his public MySpace page, The Associated Press reports, substitute judge Jonathan MacArthur laid out his attitude towards prosecutors using a certain graphic phrase that he claimed was common "among blacks, people who associate with blacks or in a sports context.”

The AP wouldn't actually quote the phrase and the MySpace page has since been made private, but The Reg can confirm that MacArthur told internet users everywhere that his interests include "breaking my foot off in a prosecutor's ass" and "improving my ability to break my foot off in a prosecutor's ass."

MacArthur is also a criminal defense attorney, but in describing his role as a pro tem judge with the North Las Vegas Justice Court, he said that he was a lot like a substitute teacher in a black choir robe with a disconcerting amount of authority.

The page was spotted by Clark County District Attorney David Roger, who promptly faxed a copy to court administrator Terri March, telling her that he would file a motion to recuse MacArthur from his role as substitute judge if the court didn't cut him first. March then showed the page to Justice of the Peace Natalie Tyrrell, whom MacArthur had substituted for, and MacArthur was soon removed from the court's list of pro tem judges.

"A judge has a duty to be unbiased, but also to avoid the appearance of being unbiased," March told The Reg. "We're not suggesting that when he did sit in for the judge, he displayed any kind of bias, but his web page represents his state of mind."

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