Michelle Odinet, a city court judge in Lafayette, Louisiana, is apparently “humiliated” after a racist video taken at her home circulated online and will seek an unpaid leave of absence, according to her lawyer.
Odinet’s attorney, Dane Ciolino, said the judge plans to file a petition with the Louisiana Supreme Court on Thursday to request leave effective immediately.
“Judge Odinet is humiliated, embarrassed, and sorry for what she has done and the trouble that she has caused to her community,” Ciolino said in a statement to HuffPost.
When asked when or if the judge will return to court, Ciolino responded: “She is focused on getting this interim leave done immediately. She will turn her thoughts to the long-term in the weeks to come.”
Odinet came under fire this week after a home video captured a series of racist comments as her family watched security camera footage of an alleged attempted car burglary at their home.
In the video, which was leaked by an unknown source and published online by The Current, someone is heard saying, “And mom’s yelling, ‘n****r, n****r!’” to which another voice responds, “We have a n****r, it’s a n****r! Like a roach.”
The group can be heard laughing as they recount that one of them tackled the accused burglar to the ground, and that someone apparently ran inside the home to “get the gun.”
The judge has four adult children, according to The Washington Post.
Odinet confirmed to The Current that the video was taken inside her home. In a statement to the publication, she asked for “forgiveness and understanding” as her family deals with the aftermath of the alleged attempted burglary.
The judge also claimed she had taken a “sedative at the time of the video” and had “zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it.”
A man was arrested and charged with two counts of simple burglary in connection to the incident at Odinet’s home earlier this month. Lafayette Police Sergeant Paul Mouton told local CBS affiliate KLFY 10 News that no weapon was found on the accused burglar — who is Black — despite Odinet’s previous claims that he was armed.
Odinet, a Republican, was elected to office in November 2020.