by
BGLH
Ohio attorney, Andrea Burton was ejected from a Youngstown court room in handcuffs after refusing to remove her “Black Lives Matter” pin at the request of the presiding judge. According to reports, Attorney Burton was asked to remove her pin by Judge Robert Milich during a Friday morning court session. In an interview with a local news affiliate, Attorney Burton recalls the judge’s demands:
“He indicated to me he didn’t know if I was trying to seek attention from the news or whatever the case was, but that legally I wasn’t allowed to wear it and I deferred and said that I’m respecting my First Amendment right. That I’m not neutral in injustice, and to remain neutral becomes an accomplice to oppression
Judge Milich cited what he believed to be a Supreme Court ruling as reason for his order:
“You don’t have political activity in the courtroom. I’m basing that on the U.S. Supreme Court case. My job is to enforce the law,” Milich said.
However, the case for which Judge Milich claimed to have cited a ruling from never was heard by the Supreme Court. The court in fact refused to hear the case. In an interview with WKBN, Milich then further explain why he feels the “Black Lives Matter” pin was in fact too much of a political statement for the courtroom:
“There’s a difference between a flag, a pin from your church or the Eagles and having a pin that’s on a political issue.”
Attorney Burton further lamented her support of Black Lives Matter does not deter from her respect of law enforcement or the judicial system:
“It’s an act of civil disobedience I understand that. I’m not anti-police I work with law enforcement and I hold them in the highest regard, and just to say for the record I do believe all lives matter. But at this point they don’t all matter equally, and that’s a problem in the justice system.”
Burton has since been freed from jail and is currently awaiting appeal.
https://wkbn.com/2016/07/22/attorney-jailed-for-refusing-to-take-off-black-lives-matter-button/
