By now you've read or heard about the latest judicial suspension...

So I will not pile on.

If you aren't familiar with the case, Maya Dukmasova's article for Injustice Watch or Tim Hecke's article for CWBChicago will tell you everything you need to know about what got the judge into trouble. The order reassigning the judge in question may be found here.

I could not find a link to the statement issued by the Cook County Bar Association about the matter, but someone sent me an image:

The Chicago Bar Association also issued a statement. I won't embed the Tweet (I've seen these called Xeets recently, but that just bothers me), but here's the link if you want to read it.

I'm not here to defend the judge, or excuse her for sending the image.

I don't know the judge. I have no way of knowing what kind of a person she is. I have no magic x-ray machine with which to ascertain a person's innermost motivations or beliefs. I wish I did. With a machine like that I'd feel much better about hiring a contractor to remodel my kitchen. I cautiously observe -- generally, and not specifically commenting on the current controversy in any way -- that it would presumably be very difficult for an unreconstructed racist to work successfully as a Cook County Assistant Public Defender for over 25 years before going on the bench. One would expect that such a person would be unmasked much, much sooner than that.

On the other hand -- and I'm talking about me now, not about the judge in question -- I have a colleague -- a friend -- who, when I would get depressed about the practice; or about certain of my fellow practitioners; or about ungrateful, non-paying clients, would try and cheer me up by pointing out the absurdities of the situation. We have to laugh at things, she would tell me, if only to keep from crying.

No less an authority than the Mayo Clinic says that laughter can relieve stress. I would guess that many people might see the judge's most recent assignment as somewhat stressful.

Ah -- you say -- stress is no excuse: People who are stressed should not circulate tasteless cartoons, they should use tried and true stress relief measures, like abusing alcohol or drugs.

No... wait... that doesn't sound right.

Here's my take on it, for what it's worth: Judges have responsibilities and obligations that non-judges do not share. For example, judges should not engage in what is called "shitposting." Or even forwarding someone else's shitpost. My prediction is that the present situation will most likely be addressed internally -- the Supreme Court has judicial mentoring programs, for example -- and not necessarily by the Judicial Inquiry Board and the Courts Commission. Although it is a trite cliche to say so, in this case I think it applies: Time will tell.