Judge of the Day: Timothy C. Ellender

Judge Timothy Ellender may be a Louisianian but he lacks a certain sense of Southern charm or diplomacy. A few years back, he got in trouble for wearing blackface and a jail jumpsuit to a Halloween party. That earned the racially-insensitive judge a six-month suspension.
It turns out the judge is also insensitive when it comes to domestic abuse issues. From WWLTV:

A Terrebonne Parish judge has been suspended for 30 days and fined $185 for violating the code of judicial conduct with inappropriate comments during a 2007 hearing on a domestic abuse case.
In transcripts from a 2007 hearing Judge Timothy Ellender, of the 32nd Judicial District Court for the Parish of Terrebonne, seemed to grow impatient with the complainant’s attempt to secure a restraining order instead of divorcing her husband.

This Cajun knocked fast food and praised knocking a child around while presiding over Eula Smith Warren’s request for a TRO. The transcript from the Louisiana Supreme Court Recommendation for Discipline [pdf] via Courthouse News Service:

THE COURT: All right. It says: “On Sunday, February 11th, we were in Subway eating.” Can’t you find a better place to eat than that? “Before we went to the parade. My daughter, Sabrina, two, was acting up in the store and didn’t want to sit down to eat. He told Sabrina if she didn’t stop he was going to bring her to the bathroom and it was
going to be a bloody mess.” True?
MR. WARREN: No, sir. I told her that I was going to take her in the bathroom and whip her booty and make her booty bleed.
THE COURT: That’s good. Good for you.

More examples of Ellender’s “exhibiting improper temperament and demeanor and failing to act with patience, dignity, and courtesy,” after the jump.


Judge Ellender is a straight talker, and likes to spell out the issues before him:

Judge Ellender asked both of them if they wanted a divorce. When they replied that they presently did want to be divorced, Judge Ellender questioned why they had not filed for a divorce rather than “go through this c-r-a-p.”

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Mrs. Warren described several instances of her husband’s threatening to beat her, but no actual beating appeared to take place. That struck Ellender as a waste of his time:

Judge Ellender’s ruling on the show cause hearing was: “Heat, big smoke, but no fire. Dismissed. You want a divorce, get a divorce. You’re not getting a TRO. See y’all later.”

Mrs. Warren was insulted by the whole experience, and filed a complaint, writing:

“I understand now why women don’t go to the courts for help/protection because that judge treated me just like my husband does. I feel like the judge gave permission to my husband to abuse his wife and children.”

Ellender certainly could have been nicer to the couple, but we wouldn’t go so far as to liken him to an abusive husband. In fact, we kind of like the idea of all “case dismissed” declarations being followed by, “See y’all later.”
Judge Suspended for Demeaning Remarks [Courthouse News Service]
Terrebonne Judge suspended again [WWLTV]

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