A Grand Jury indicted Madison County
Court Judge Bill Weisenberger for simple assault on a vulnerable adult.
The indictment stems from an incident at the Canton Flea Market on May 8, 2014. Weisenberger allegedly struck 20-year old Eric Rivers and yelled “run, n—-r run.” Rivers is a mentally disabled black male.
Weisenberger turned himself into the Madison County sheriff’s office Thursday. He was released shortly after that on 10,000 dollars bond.
If convicted of the felony charge, the judge could face five years in
prison. He could also be removed from the bench for having a felony
conviction.
Since the reported assault, Judge Weisenberger has
come under fire for other racist behavior as well. For example,
an African-American was allegedly jailed for the non-existent charge of “roaming livestock”. Another black individual was reportedly given an illegal sentence for a DUI conviction.
The judge’s comments put Mississippi in the
spotlight for racial intolerance yet again. Weisenberger’s indictment
represents a stark contrast between his commitment to racial equality,
and that of fellow Mississippian U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves.
Earlier in the week, Reeves sentenced three white men to prison,
for their roles in the death of 48-year old James Craig Anderson, who
was murdered in a Jackson parking lot. During the sentencing, Reeves
spoke eloquently about Mississippi’s tortured past, and he called for a
“new Mississippi”.
However, Judge Weisenberger’s alleged behavior serves as a reminder that the “old Mississippi” is far from finished. Recent racist remarks by Gene Alday (r-Walls) further illustrate that much work is still to be done, to eradicate the cancer of racism from Mississippi soil.
In order for the justice system to appear
colorblind, at the very least, overt racists have no position serving as
arbiters of justice. If Judge Weisenberger is convicted of assaulting
Eric Rivers, he should be incarcerated and removed from the bench
immediately.
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