The Louisiana Supreme Court has removed Baton Rouge judge Eboni Johnson Rose from the bench, saying she "presents a substantial threat of serious harm to the public."
The court's order, classified as an immediate interim disqualification, immediately removes her from the 19th Judicial District bench pending the outcome of a judicial investigation.
The Supreme Court said the disqualification results from a recommendation from the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana, which is investigating allegations of misconduct by Johnson Rose.
Johnson Rose currently handles criminal and civil cases for 19th Judicial District after winning the seat in a December 2020 election. She is running for a seat on the First Circuit Court of Appeals against Kelly Balfour, a fellow 19th Judicial District judge.
Interim disqualification is usually reserved for serious allegations of misconduct, like sexual harassment or tax evasion.
Over the past several years, other south Louisiana judges have been temporarily disqualified. In several cases, the judges resigned before the Supreme Court imposed final discipline on them.
Here's are a few recent examples:
- Ernestine Anderson-Trahan – Anderson-Trahan, a judge in New Orleans' 2nd City Court, was suspended in 2021 and indicted on multiple counts of falsifying her taxes in early 2022. Anderson-Trahan's case went to trial and she was acquitted, leading the disqualification to be lifted. You can read about what happened here.
- Michelle Odinet – A Lafayette City Court Judge, Odinet faced calls for her resignation after a video of her using racial slurs was circulated on the internet in late 2021. The Supreme Court issued her an in interim disqualification at her own request; she later resigned. Read more.
- Jeff Perilloux – A judge in the 40th Judicial District Court in St. John the Baptist Parish, Perilloux was removed from the bench in 2018 when he was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and groping two other teenagers. A jury found him guilty, he resigned and in 2020 he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Read more.
- Byron C Williams – An Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge, Williams was suspended from his bench in 2018 amid accusations of inappropriate behavior. He later stepped down from his seat, and admitted he engaged in "unwelcomed touching of two staff members and a judicial colleague" in the courthouse. Read more.
