Tag: alabama

Alabama Probate Judge Suspended After 120-Page Complaint Accuses Her of Delaying Hearings to Walk Dogs, Making Racist Comments About White Staff, and Worse

An Alabama probate judge has been suspended following a massive 120-page complaint that accuses her of serious judicial misconduct, including delaying critical hearings for mental health patients so she could walk her dogs, making racist remarks about a white court employee, and ignoring a staff member’s plea to be near her dying sister with cancer.

Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba G. Blanchard was suspended on May 21, the same day the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed formal charges against her with the Court of the Judiciary.

The complaint details a pattern of abuse of power, docket mismanagement, bias, intimidation, and retaliation that harmed patients, families, and court staff.

One of the allegations involves Blanchard’s handling of involuntary commitment and guardianship cases. The complaint claims she routinely delayed or canceled probable cause hearings, creating a massive backlog.

In one case, hospital staff repeatedly contacted her office begging for a hearing so a patient could be discharged and go home for Thanksgiving with family.

Blanchard allegedly canceled the hearing, forcing the patient to remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks.

An email from hospital staff read, “This patient will now remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks solely due to the lack of timely access to the hearing process. This not only prevents her from being home with her family for Thanksgiving, but it also generates unnecessary hospitalization costs and creates avoidable emotional distress for the patient.”

The complaint states that Blanchard’s failure to promptly handle court business created a disservice to Jefferson County citizens, forcing some to seek services elsewhere.

The complaint also accuses Blanchard of making a racist comment about white chief clerk Amanda Reid.

A staffer was reportedly asked by the judge if they liked Reid.

When the staffer said yes, Blanchard allegedly replied, “Oh, I forgot you all like kissing white ass.”

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Everything we know about the Bibb County child sex trafficking ring investigation

Authorities in Bibb County uncovered a child sex trafficking ring involving at least ten victims that has been happening for at least two years in an underground storm shelter.

Officials are searching for at least 15 additional suspects; eight suspects have already appeared in court.

The investigation, which was announced on July 19, 2025, but began months earlier in February, has led to the arrest of eight suspects. More arrests and charges expected.

The Department of Homeland Security is assisting in the investigation, including looking into possible gang ties and the immigration status of the suspects.

“I’ve been in law enforcement for 33 years, and this is absolutely the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen when it comes to the victimization of children. I know God’s forgiveness is boundless, but if there was a limit to it, I think we’ve reached it,” said Sheriff Jody Wade.

The storm shelter contained chairs, beds, and other items used to restrain and drug the children.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Jones described the scene inside the storm shelter, saying, “there were chairs and beds and things of that nature and the children were drugged by Mr. Trejo and tied to the bed, into the chair, into a pole. And then people would come and pay money to have sex with these children.”

A photo of the storm shelter has been released to help trigger the memory of victims who may have been drugged.

“There are some allegations with individuals that we will have a hard time identifying, just because we don’t know their names. And the children were drugged, according to one of the co-defendants. And so they may not be able to recognize or be able to identify anyone,” Jones said.

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Supreme Court Allows Alabama to Use Congressional Map that Favors Republicans – Sotomayor Fumes

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday evening allowed Alabama to use its 2023 congressional map that favors Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.

Last week, Alabama asked the Supreme Court to intervene after a lower court blocked its new congressional map.

Alabama’s request to toss out its racist, gerrymandered congressional map comes after the Supreme Court last month declared Louisiana’s newly-drawn Congressional map an unconstitutional gerrymander.

The case, State of Louisiana v. Phillip Callais (and the related Press Robinson v. Phillip Callais), stems from Louisiana’s woke lawmakers caving to left-wing judges and creating a second “majority-minority” congressional district.

Last week, a three-judge panel ruled that Alabama’s new congressional map violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

Alabama state officials asked the Supreme Court to overturn the lower court’s decision.

On Tuesday evening, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision upheld Alabama’s Congressional map that will likely result in 6-1 R-D.

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor fumed in a dissent with whom Jackson and Kagan joined.

“Before the Court are two paths. Down one lies an orderly election, held under a tried-and-tested congressional map that protects Black Alabamians’ right to vote and with which all voters, elections officials, and candidates alike are familiar,” Sotomayor wrote.

“Down the other lies a chaotic election, held under a never-before-used congressional map that intentionally discriminates against Black Alabamians, that Alabama adopted in unashamed defiance of a prior court order directly affirmed by this Court, and that will require officials to change the voter registrations of hundreds of thousands of voters in just days at best, a task that Alabama previously represented would take months,” Sotomayor said.

“The majority chooses the second path and disregardsboth democratic values and the rule of law. I respectfully dissent,” she wrote.

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Alabama Judge Who Called Herself “Ultimate Authority” Suspended After Making Racist Remarks Against White Clerk

An Alabama judge was suspended after making a racist remark against a White clerk.

Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard was hit with a 120-page complaint after she delayed cases to walk her dog and even attacked a White woman with racially charged comments.

Blanchard called herself the “ultimate authority” in conversations with her staff.

Judge Blanchard is accused of ethical and judicial misconduct by delaying cases so she could walk her dogs.

In one case, a patient was hospitalized for an additional two weeks because of Blanchard’s delays.

“This patient will now remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks solely due to the lack of timely access to the hearing process,” an email from hospital staff read, according to the complaint.

“This not only prevents her from being home with her family for Thanksgiving, but it also generates unnecessary hospitalization costs and creates avoidable emotional distress for the patient,” the email read.

Blanchard attacked a chief clerk named Amanda Reid.

“Oh, I forgot you all like kissing white ass,’” Blanchard said to her staffer about her fondness of Reid.

WBRC reported:

A judge in Jefferson County who reportedly told her staff she was the “ultimate authority” with “no boss” has been suspended following a 120-page complaint filed by the Judicial Inquiry Commission.

Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard is out of the courtroom indefinitely and through this complaint, is formally accused of ethical and judicial misconduct.

Judge Elisabeth French, the presiding judge in Jefferson County, appointed retired Probate Judge Sherri Friday to serve temporarily in Blanchard’s place and appointed retired Judge Carole Smitherman to temporarily serve as Chief Election Official for Jefferson County.

The complaint lays out dozens of allegations against Blanchard that claim she ran the Probate Court in an incompetent and unprofessional manner, routinely targeting attorneys and staff, and manufacturing a backlog that created havoc in involuntary commitments.

The commission charges Blanchard with pattern and practice of failing to diligently discharge judicial duties, pattern and practice of failing to follow the law, pattern and practice of exhibiting bias against attorneys appearing in Blanchard’s court, failure to disqualify from a case in which Blanchard served as an attorney, harassment, intimidation, and retaliation against probate court staff, allowing other court officials subject to Blanchard’s direction and control to engage in harassment and intimidation of probate court staff, and failure to maintain professional competence in judicial administration.

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Panel of Leftist Federal Judges Defy Supreme Court, Order Alabama to Reinstate its Rigged and Racially Gerrymandered Congressional Map

A panel of leftist judges decided to snub the United States Supreme Court and throw out a perfectly constitutional redistricting map today.

As The Associated Press reported, a three-judge panel in Alabama’s redistricting case issued a preliminary injunction barring the state from switching maps.

It requires Alabama to continue using the 5-2 racially gerrymandered map the court ordered for congressional elections in 2024. The state had recently voted to reinstate its old map, which was 6-1 Republican.

This also means Democrats will regain an additional Black-majority seat for now.

This is after the Supreme Court SPECIFICALLY ruled that racial gerrymandering was unconstitutional.

The AP reported:

Federal judges on Tuesday temporarily blocked Alabama’s plan to use a new congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in a key House race in the midterm elections.

A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued the preliminary injunction that prevents the state, at least for now, from switching maps. It requires the state to continue using the same court-ordered districts that were used for congressional elections in 2024.

Lawyers representing Black voters in the state’s lengthy redistricting case had sought the preliminary injunction, arguing the same panel in 2023 found the state map was intentionally discriminatory against Black voters. They also argued Alabama was creating chaos by trying to change lines in the middle of an election year.

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‘Crazy ass Uncle Tom’: Democrat State Rep. Juandalynn Givan says Clarence Thomas ‘sold us back into the hands of the master’

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham) called U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Associate Justice Clarence Thomas an “Uncle Tom” and the “one who sold us out in Africa” after a recent redistricting ruling on Monday.

SCOTUS struck down a 2023 federal court-ordered Alabama congressional map on Monday.

The ruling paves the way for Republicans in Alabama to likely pick up at least one congressional seat in the 2026 midterms. Republicans currently have a narrow majority in Congress, and redistricting battles are happening in multiple states across the nation. A special master hired by a three-judge panel in Birmingham redrew the map for the 2024 congressional elections after Democrats and liberal groups were successful in their initial redistricting legal challenge. The court-ordered map resulted in Democrats picking up one seat in Alabama via Figures in Congressional District 2.

Givan criticized Thomas, a black and respected conservative jurist, for ruling to “take away two damn congressional seats” from Democrats.

“This mf’er, this man, this Uncle Tom, this Uncle Tim…and I’m so pissed and I said this today…this black man right here, I don’t know what kind of black he is. I don’t know what damn plantation this man came from. I don’t know what slave ship he was on. I don’t know what part of the slave ship he was on,” Givan said on Facebook on Monday.

“I have never in my life met a black man who has never done any damn thing at all in the position that he has that would ever benefit black people and this man is just as dark as I am. First of all, you just pissed on the 11th Circuit. You just pissed on the judges in the 11th Circuit. You literally have ruled to take away two damn congressional seats because that’s what’s going to happen. You have sided with the Republican Party. You are a freaking straw boss…a damn Uncle Tom for these people. I just don’t get it.”

Givan continued, “I do not say the N word. You have not ever heard me use the N word to say it out. I may say reggin. That’s it spelled backwards but this reggin right here, this reggin right here. This man. I’m telling y’all. This mf’er must’ve been there, he must’ve been the one who sold us out in Africa. His ancestors had to be the ones that sold us out in Africa that caused us to be chained. I don’t understand this man.”

“Today this man has forever turned the clock, he is the man who has turned us back into the hands of the master,” Givan said. “Help me understand this black man right here. Help me understand this crazy ass Uncle Tom. Help me understand this lynchman. Help me. Help me understand him.”

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Sabotage! Improvised Explosive Device Found Underwater At Alabama Dam, Threatening Water Supply

Divers conducting routine maintenance at the J.B. Converse Reservoir dam discovered a grenade-type improvised explosive device underwater, prompting a swift multi-agency response that resulted in the device’s safe removal and detonation, officials said. 

The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS) announced Tuesday that the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team retrieved and detonated the IED at the federally designated critical infrastructure site. The 3,600-acre Converse Reservoir, also known as Big Creek Lake, holds approximately 17 billion gallons of water and serves as the primary drinking water source for about 350,000 residents in the Mobile area. 

Divers located the device during a standard survey for repairs and maintenance. MAWSS immediately notified the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, which coordinated a response involving the FBI Bomb Squad, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordnance Detail, ALEA Bomb Squad, Daphne Search and Rescue Team, and other agencies. The Department of Homeland Security was also informed of the incident. 

MAWSS Director Bud McCrory described the discovery as an “unprecedented threat” and praised the rapid response.“

Our top priority is keeping your drinking water safe,” McCrory said. “This is an unprecedented threat, and we are fortunate that this device was discovered before it could cause serious damage to our water supply or harm to individuals. We are grateful for the professionalism and competency of our law enforcement partners — as well as the quick thinking of our contractors and divers — in identifying this device and safely destroying it.” 

Officials confirmed there was no damage to the dam or contamination of the water supply. MAWSS plans to increase security measures around the reservoir in response to the incident. Authorities have not released information on any suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing. 

The Converse Reservoir dam is one of several critical water infrastructure facilities across the United States that receive heightened federal protection.

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Alabama AG Announces Civil Investigation into Southern Poverty Law Center Alleging Deceptive Fundraising Practices Under State’s Consumer Protection Statutes

In April, the Justice Department indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on 11 counts, including wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.

The SPLC was indicted for secretly funneling more than $3 million in funds to members of white supremacist and extremist groups, the DOJ said.

A grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama returned an 11-count indictment against the SPLC.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the grand jury indicted the SPLC on 6 counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Now, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has announced a civil investigation into the organization, alleging deceptive fundraising practices under the State’s consumer protection statutes.

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Supreme Court Clears the Way For Alabama to Throw Out Current Rigged Congressional Map – Sotomayor Fumes

The US Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Alabama to throw out its current rigged congressional map.

Alabama on Friday filed an emergency appeal at the Supreme Court asking the high court to allow it to throw out its current rigged congressional map.

Alabama’s request to toss out its racist, gerrymandered congressional map comes after the Supreme Court last month declared Louisiana’s newly-drawn Congressional map an unconstitutional gerrymander.

The case, State of Louisiana v. Phillip Callais (and the related Press Robinson v. Phillip Callais), stems from Louisiana’s woke lawmakers caving to left-wing judges and creating a second “majority-minority” congressional district.

Louisiana delayed its May 16 House primaries a couple of weeks ago after the Supreme Court’s blockbuster ruling.

Alabama petitioned the Supreme Court on Friday amid the gerrymander wars.

Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ordered a response by Monday evening.

The high court on Monday issued the decision in a 6-3 vote.

The three liberal justices, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson, dissented.

Sotomayor fumed in her dissent.

“The Court today unceremoniously discards the District Court’s meticulously documented and supported discriminatory-intent finding and careful remedial order without any sound basis for doing so and without regard for the confusion that will surely ensue. As with all vacaturs of this kind from this Court, the District Court remains free on remand to decide for itself whether Callais has any bearing on its Fourteenth Amendment analysis or if its prior reasoning is unaffected by that decision,” Sotomayor wrote.

NBC News reported:

The Supreme Court on Monday removed an obstacle to Alabama using a new congressional map in this year’s election that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts.

The court, over the objection of its liberal members, sent litigation over the Republican-drawn map back to the lower court, which could speed up the state’s effort to use its map.

The state has been battling civil rights plaintiffs for years over its congressional map, with a focus on whether a second majority-Black district was required to comply with the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Angry Hillary/DNC lawyer Marc Elias was stunned after the Supreme Court allowed Alabama to redraw a new congressional map.

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More States Enact New Laws Curbing Teachers Unions

New organized labor reforms signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week require a majority of members to be present for teachers union certification or recertification votes, increase fines for illegal strikes, and establish merit-based pay for educators.

In Idaho, after July 1, teachers unions will be prohibited from collecting dues directly from members’ paychecks, using paid time off for union activities, or recruiting new members during school hours.

A similar law in Arizona, which also bans teacher strikes and prohibits organized labor members from using any school property—even email addresses—for union activities, will be decided on by voters in the November election.

“They can’t consume taxpayer-funded resources during the school day,” said Rusty Brown, special projects director for the Freedom Foundation policy organization, which assisted state legislators with those measures and helps teachers opt out of union membership.

These ideas are expected to gain ground throughout the nation in the months and years ahead, Brown told The Epoch Times.

Individually, the Freedom Foundation’s Teacher Freedom Alliance has so far helped more than 272,535 teachers opt out of union membership, including more than 50,000 in 2025 alone, according to data provided to The Epoch Times. This includes educators in red and blue states.

At the state level, Oklahoma lawmakers have advanced legislation that would allow teachers to withdraw from a union at any time and would terminate “closed shop” provisions that prevent teachers from accessing alternative labor or professional organizations, such as the Teacher Freedom Alliance.

Brown calls this an “equal access and an end to a monopoly and captive audience bill.” Alternative organizations can offer teacher liability insurance and other benefits at a fraction of the price that traditional unions charge, he said.

Brown said he believes that the legislation could pass before Oklahoma’s session ends later this month, but the member withdrawal proposal probably won’t go through this session.

Alabama state lawmakers will consider legislation similar to Oklahoma’s next session, he said.

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