Judge reassigned after complaint he called black juror "Aunt Jemima"

Rob Beschizza 4:34 am Thu Feb 6, 2020

Allegheny County Common Pleas judge Mark Tranquilli was reassigned this week after uttering what CBS euphemistically describes as "racially charged remarks": referring to a black juror as "Aunt Jemima" and speculating about her "baby daddy … slinging heroin". He will not preside over criminal trials until an investigation is complete.

Tranquilly made the remarks to a prosecutor, according to a complaint, in private conference after a not-guilty verdict that displeased him: "you weren't out of strikes when you put Aunt Jemima on the jury."

The prosecutor's office typed up the remarks and turned him in to his boss, Judge Kim Berkeley Clark, who immediately reassigned him to dealing with traffic appeals and school truants in summary appeals court.

Meet Judge Kim:

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