Georgia county swears in first elected black judge

The first African-American to be elected to any countywide position in Gwinnett County, Georgia, was sworn in as a judge Thursday afternoon.

Ronda Colvin-Leary, a Snellville attorney, won the seat in May. While multiple African-American judges have been appointed to serve on magistrate, juvenile and recorders courts, Colvin-Leary is the first to win an election for state court, the county’s Administrative Office of the Courts confirmed after her election.

Colvin-Leary has been a member of the Georgia bar since 2001, after earning a law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Auburn University. Before her election, she was the solicitor for the city of Winder and ran her own law practice in Lawrenceville for more than a decade.

Gwinnett County State Court handles civil actions, misdemeanors and traffic violations. Colvin-Leary likes the court’s role in the judicial system because it can address more minor legal issues before they escalate, she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after her election.

“I love State Court because, for me, I like to think that … if you come to State Court we can try to address it before something else major happens and you wind up in Superior Court for a more serious offense,” Colvin-Leary said.

[SOURCE: WPXI]

Carolina Panthers sign Eric Reid although he is suing NFL over National Anthem protest

NFL safety Eric Reid signed with the Carolina Panthers Thursday, in a move that could complicate his suit against the league over his protests during the National anthem.

Reid, who was the first to join Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the National Anthem to protest policy brutality and systemic racism, claims he lost his job with the San Francisco 49ers and was blackballed from the league over his protests.

"We made this decision based on the fact he's a good football player,'' Panthers owner Marty Hurney told ESPN. "He's played at a very high level the last few years. We think he can come in and help us win games.''

Kaepernick, who is more popularly associated with the protests, congratulated Reid on Thursday.

Congrats to my brother @e_reid35, all pro safety who should have been signed the 1st day of free agency, who has signed a football contract.

He was the first person to kneel alongside me. Eric is a social justice warrior, continues to support his family. and communities in need.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

A tale of two Bill Cosbys in the black community

By George L. Cook III African American Reports

The fact that Bill Cosby has been sentenced to 3 to 10 years for sexual assault has set off a debate in the black community.

There are those who believe that all of the good that he has done outweighs what he was found guilty of, and those on the other side who say that the good doesn't exceed the bad he has done as a sexual predator.

The problem is that it's not that easy. It's rather complicated.

Many of those of those who believe that the bad outweighs the good want us who grew up with Bill Cosby and The Cosby Show to repudiate Cosby and pretend he hasn't helped thousands of black students attend college or at one time presented a positive image of black families when there were none out there.

But there are those who believe the fact that he did help HBCUs and black students should give the former comedian a "get out of jail free" card.

Both sides can be right.

We can at the same time remember the good Cosby has done while at the same time be disappointed and disgusted in his actions as a now convicted sexual predator, which is what I have chosen to do.

A word to both sides in closing.

To those who want to use Bill Cosby as an example of disparities for African Americans in the criminal justice system, stop it. Cosby had millions of dollars to defend himself and lost. Most black people that become entrapped in the system don't have that chance to at least put on a decent defense.

To those on the #MeToo side breaking their arms while patting themselves on the back too much for Bill Cosby being sentenced to prison, stop it. While yes Cosby is being punished for past crimes and his victims get the justice they deserve, getting an 81-year-old legally blind man off the streets is not going to make one woman safer. When the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Jeremy Piven are sentenced to prison, then something is really being accomplished.

Well that's my take on this issue and like I stated earlier, it's complicated.

Anita Hill Says Kavanaugh Accuser Hearing 'Cannot Be Fair'

Twenty-seven years after testifying that then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her, Anita Hill says she believes the upcoming hearing on an alleged sexual assault by the current nominee, Brett Kavanaugh "cannot be fair and thorough."

As it stands now, the hearing cannot provide the senators "with enough information to reach a reasonable conclusion," Hill tells NPR. Listen to her full interview on NPR's All Things Considered below.

Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison

Bill Cosby was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting Constand at his home in 2004, in the first high-profile celebrity criminal trial of the #MeToo era.

Today Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand.

Cosby, 81, faced a maximum of 10 years in prison after prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to merge the three counts of his conviction into one for sentencing purposes.

In handing down his ruling to Bill Cosby today, Judge O’Neill said no one is above the law. He also referenced how brave Andrea Constand, who Cosby was convicted to sexually assaulting, was through this whole process.

"No one is above the law, and no one should be treated differently or disproportionally," Judge Steven O'Neill said.

Cosby would be sentenced regardless of "who he is or who he was," O'Neill said.

"I have given great weight to the victim impact testimony in this case, and it was powerful," he added.

Bill Cosby’s PR representatives read out statements following the sentencing, decrying a “sex war” and referencing Jesus.

“I believe and think it is important to point out that this has been the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States,” said Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s publicist. He claimed that some of those who testified against Cosby were "white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators.”

Wyatt also tied Cosby's verdict to the accusations leveled against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, claiming both were victims in a "sex war." He did not elaborate.

Wyatt later referenced the persecution of Jesus, saying, Cosby “knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. Not saying Mr. Cosby's Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries.”

Ebonee Benson, another PR representative, read a statement on behalf of Cosby’s wife, Camille Cosby. Camille was not in court for the sentencing.

Camille’s statement decried “falsified evidence," claiming that Cosby had not been granted his right to a fair trial.

[SOURCE: CNN]