Black judge rejects plea deal for 'white boy'

[The Northerner]

PITTSBURGH — A black judge from western Pennsylvania rejected a plea agreement for a man accused of fighting with police during a traffic stop, saying it was "a ridiculous plea that only goes to white boys."

The plea agreement was for a sentence of three months probation. Allegheny County Judge Joseph Williams said on Tuesday that a black defendant in that situation would not have been treated as leniently.

In court, Williams told Assistant District Attorney Brian Catanzarite that he "for some reason comes up with I think ridiculous pleas whenever it's a young white guy," according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I'm just telling you what my observation is. If this had been a black kid who did the same thing, we wouldn't be talking about three months' probation."

Catanzarite responded that he was standing in for another prosecutor and didn't broker the plea deal.

"Now that the court has essentially called me a racist, I think that's unfair. I don't make offers based on race. I make offers based on facts," Catanzarite said, according to the Tribune-Review.

Williams later recused himself from the case, and a white judge accepted the plea agreement for 24-year-old Jeffery McGowan.

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39536917/ns/us_news/


I think there's something wrong with this reporting and that someone needs to scrutinize it and ask MSNBC about their journalism...

[KamaAina]

1. There is indeed something wrong with this reporting

according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The Tribune-Review is the house organ of wingnut gazillionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, of Arkansas Project fame (or at least notoriety). He cobbled it together from a bunch of smaller papers in the Pgh. suburbs. Shame on BSNBC for parroting their story*.

The legitimate paper in the 'Burgh is the Post-Gazette: http://www.postgazette.com .

[tularetom]

2. Is it factual? Did the judge make these comments?

He may have had reason to say what he did but if he did in fact say it what's wrong with reporting that he did?

I didn't go to the link but based on what is posted I don't find it particularly objectionable or biased.

[habitual]

3. agreed. ! n/t

[davidinalameda]

4. what an idiot for saying that