Racial Epithets in Court

It seems Reiner cannot get through a single week without seeing his own face on TV. Worse, there appears to be no publicity gimmick too transparent, too irresponsible or too disingenuous for him.

I’m a criminal defense lawyer. I have appeared before Calabro. He is not a racist. Period.

Calabro has persuasively explained that his “nigger” comment was a reference to evidence in the case--specifically a quote attributed to the defendant charged with racial harassment--not the commissioner’s own observation. Further, it was said as a commentary of despair that not one but two such cases should come before Calabro in rapid succession; he was lamenting that such discrimination still occurs.

The whole quote makes this clear: “Another ‘nigger’ case? Another one where this ‘nigger’ business came up? We’re not past that yet? I thought we were all past that.”

The defense attorney who handled both of these racial harassment cases backs up the commissioner’s explanation 100%, praises the commissioner for his consistent fairness and courtesy to her minority clients, and laments that the commissioner’s comment has been bent into exactly the opposite of its actual meaning to all present in the courtroom at the time.

Not incidentally, in the earlier case, Calabro had sent the defendant to jail for posting a racially derogatory note--containing the word “nigger”--on an apartment door. This is a judge who condones racial epithets?

I would be very surprised if Reiner has ever met Calabro before shooting his mouth off in front of the cameras. I’d be surprised if he even had the decency to telephone the commissioner about the quote before imperiling the man’s career and reputation. The DA’s approach, as always, is: “Don’t confuse me with facts; the cameras are rolling.”

PAUL B. HERBERT

Santa Ana