Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Where I Stand:

It’s 2022. The judge spoke the truth.

Judges should not have to take a walk for talking the talk.

District Court Judge Erika Ballou, who is not known to be timid or shy, drew the ire of the leadership of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association for telling the truth in her courtroom recently. Trying to speak for all cops in Clark County — even though I believe that not to be the case — the LVPPA director called on the judge to resign for what he called a bias against the police.

But instead of taking her to task, I would suggest to my friends in law enforcement that they should be thanking her for making their jobs safer and their lives matter.

I assume that I now have your attention, so let’s talk about what happened.

In a recent court hearing to determine whether a defendant’s probation should be revoked, Judge Ballou said the following:

“You’re a Black man in America. You know you don’t want to be nowhere where cops are … ’cause I know I don’t and I’m a middle-aged, middle class Black woman. I don’t want to be around where cops are because I don’t know if I’m going to walk away alive or not.”

LVPPA president Steve Grammas, trying to speak for 3,500 cops but probably expressing the real sentiments of far fewer, immediately lashed out and demanded firings, resignations and who knows what in an effort to puff himself at the expense of a truth-speaking judge.

Grammas, by the way, is the same fellow who endorsed and, as far as I know, still endorses a candidate for attorney general — Sigal Chatta — who said her African American opponent — Aaron Ford — should be “hanging from a … crane.”

She claims to have not said anything blatantly racist and hurtful to every Black American and, frankly, all Americans. And, as far as I know, she still hasn’t apologized. And, Grammas, the man throwing verbal assaults at Judge Ballou, still hasn’t pulled his endorsement of the woman who said too much.

Just sayin’…

And, not to be outdone, Sheriff Joe Lombardo piled on calling for his political opponent, Gov. Steve Sisolak, to fire the judge or otherwise get her off the bench. Say it ain’t so Joe because as far as I can tell you are still kowtowing to that ever-shrinking group of Trump cultists who claim election fraud that didn’t exist and can’t admit that Joe Biden is the American president.

Once again, Sheriff Joe was trying to puff himself up by standing with his fellow police officers, which is commendable most of the time. This time, however, he should have backed the play of the NAACP, which defended the judge for speaking the truth and doing it in a way that the very people who need to hear that truth will listen.

The truth is that every facet of American social consciousness is replete with examples of the tragedies of escalation. Whether it is in our music, our movies or real life, on our televisions and smartphones, there are very few good outcomes when police and citizens get in each other’s faces. Backing away, deescalating and using good and common sense will save all lives — black, blue and everything in between.

I remember when my parents gave me the talk. Admittedly, it was back in the Stone Age but the message was clear. A police officer will help you, but you have to help by being courteous and doing what you are told. Life is dangerous on the streets and in the dark alleys of malevolence. Police officers are human, they can make mistakes out of fear or fallacy, no matter how well-trained and well-intentioned they are. Besides, there will be plenty of time after you are home to sort out any perceived grievances.

What Judge Ballou was telling that defendant by using her own experiences and with words that should matter to him was the African American update of that talk, with the extra dose of caution required in today’s far more dangerous world.

Hers was a message designed to deescalate a difficult situation that will save lives, not cost them. Most cops will recognize that truth when they think about it.

So should the judge resign or get somehow booted?

Not for this. Not for what she said from the bench. I am with the NAACP on this one.

As for the defendant in front of her that day? Judge Ballou did what a good judge would do under the circumstances. She revoked his probation and off to prison he went!

Justice was served — mostly. The judge is still owed an apology.

Brian Greenspun is editor, publisher and owner of the Sun.