Members of Bar Assn. Support Judge Karlin
Members of an ad hoc lawyers committee and a local bar association Tuesday voiced support for the judge who sentenced a Korean-born grocer to probation for the shooting death of a black girl.
“We are here to say the recall effort against Judge Joyce Karlin, and also the recall effort against (Presiding) Judge Ricardo Torres, are ill-conceived and must stop,” said Gary Barr, president of the San Fernando Valley Bar Assn.
“Judges have the right to sentence within the bounds of the law, and they should not have to consider political ramifications when doing so,” Barr said.
Karlin, a jurist at the Compton Superior Court, placed 51-year-old Soon Ja Du on probation for the killing of Latasha Harlins at Du’s Empire Liquor Market in South-Central Los Angeles. Torres has refused to reassign Karlin in the wake of the controversial sentencing.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Bar Assn.’s criminal justice section passed a resolution in support of Karlin and Torres.
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