Judge says 'blacks and Hispanics are predisposed to crime and violent acts'

By ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER

A coalition of civil rights organizations has filed a judicial misconduct complaint against a conservative federal judge for discriminatory comments she allegedly made during a speech, including that some racial groups were predisposed to violent crime.
Judge Edith Jones of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals addressed the University of Pennsylvania law school on Feb. 20. Her comments were not recorded, but five students and one attorney who were in attendance signed affidavits swearing to what they heard.
The complaint alleges that Jones said certain ‘racial groups like African-Americans and Hispanics are predisposed to crime,’ and that they are ‘prone to commit acts of violence’ and be involved in more violent and ‘heinous’ crimes than people of other ethnicities.
The judge also allegedly said Mexicans would prefer to be on death row in the U.S. than serve prison terms in their native country, and that it's an insult for the U.S. to look to the laws of other countries such as Mexico.
The allegations were laid out in a 12-page complaint backed by several Texas groups and filed Tuesday in New Orleans, where the appeals court is based.
The complaint said Jones engaged in conduct that, among other things, ‘undermines public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary, and creates a strong appearance of impropriety.’