Mississippi Justice Court Judge Bill Weisenberger was indicted last Thursday by a grand jury for allegedly striking and yelling a racial slur at a mentally-disabled African American man, reported Talking Points Memo.
Weisenberger turned himself in last week to the Madison County police and was released on a $10,000 bond. Last May, Weisenberger was alleged to have assaulted 20-year-old Eric Rivers. During the assault, the judge was reported to have yelled “run, ni**er, run.” Of course, Weisenberger denies doing anything wrong.
“From the beginning of this matter, Judge Weisenberger, has cooperated with each law enforcement and investigatory agency that wanted to know what actually occurred at the Canton Flea Market last spring,” said Weisenberger’s lawyer, Bill Kirksey. “Judge Weisenberger has denied and continues to deny any wrongdoing or the commission of any crime against any person.”
Despite the judge’s denial, several witnesses have implicated him as the assailant. If Weisenberger get convicted, he faces five years in prison and being removed from the bench. As heinous as this crime sounds, the grand jury only indicted the judge with simple assault, downplaying any obvious implication that this might have been a hate crime.
Weisenberger has a past of seemingly racially-motivated behavior, even while acting as an officer of the court. He was accused of “imposing an illegal DUI sentence against an African American” and jailed an African American man “on the nonexistent charge of ‘roaming livestock.’”
If found guilty, this man needs to removed from his judgeship and placed in jail for his actions. The courts are no place for discrimination of any nature.
