TODAY

I WOKE UP GRATEFUL TO ALL MY SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS

WHO ARE WORKING SO HARD AND DILIGENTLY TO HELP ME- THOSE WHO TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHY IT IS GOING O N. T HEY KNOW THAT AFTER SERVING CHRIST AND MY COMMUNITY FAITHFULLY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SPENDING MY ENTIRE CAREER AND LIFE HELPING PEOPLE AND ADVOCATING FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE THAT I DID NOT WAKE UP ONE DAY OUT OF THE BLUE AND BECOME A CRIMINAL . MY CRIME WAS HAVING F AITH IN THE PEOPLE WORKING AROUND ME IN JUVENILE COURT AND TRUSTING THAT THEY SHARED THE SAME GOALS AS ME - TO REHABILITATE CHILDREN; RESTORE FAMILIES; AND ENSURE THAT LAWS WERE APPLIED EQUITABLY AND JUSTLY TO ALL. WHILE I WAS LITERALLY WORKING NIGHT AND DAY TO ENSURE THAT: ALL PARTIES WERE TREATED FAIRLY ; DECISIONS WERE JUST; CHILDREN WERE TREATED HUMANELY ; HIRING PRACTICES WERE EQUAL ; AND CHANGES WERE IMPLEMENTED TO REDUCE THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE , THEY WERE WORKING JUST AS HARD, APPARENTLY HARDER, TO GET MY JUDICIAL SEAT BACK BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY . I RECENTLY WATCHED MALCOLM X STARRING DENZEL WASHINGTON. I N ONE VERY STRIKING SCENE, AFTER OBSERVING HOW THE PEOPLE RESPONDED TO MALCOLM, THE COMMISSIONER COMMENTED, THAT I S JUST TOO MUCH POWER FOR ONE MAN TO HAVE. AS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO BE IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGESHIP IN HAMILTON COUNTY THAT DETERMINED HIRING DECISIONS; CO-MANAGED OVER A 30 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET ; AND DETERMINED COURT CONTRACTS, THAT WAS SIMPLY TOO MUCH POWER FOR ONE WOMAN LIKE ME TO HAVE. DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT I WOULD SPEND TWO YEARS OF MY LIFE FIGHTING INJUSTICE TO GET THE PEOPLES' VOTES COUNTED ONLY TO GET IN OFFICE AND DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF DOING, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT EVERY SINGLE MOVE THAT I MADE EACH DAY WAS BEING CAREFULLY TRACKED. THINK ABOUT IT. JUST BEFORE I WAS I NDICTED, I PICKED UP A BOOK BASED ON THE LIFE OF REV. FRED SHUTTLESWORTH . IT FELL OPEN TO A PAGE DESCRIBING HIM BEING CHARGED WITH A CONSPIRACY CRIME. THE PRESIDENT OF A UNIVERSITY TOLD COLLEGE STUDENTS, THROWN OUT OF SCHOOL AND ARRESTED FOR STAGING A SIT I N, T HAT THEY WOULD BE READMITTED TO SCHOOL AND THEIR CHARGES DROPPED IF THEY WOULD TESTIFY AGAINST REV. SHUTTLESWORTH . THE COLLEGE STUDENTS ALMOST CAVED IN, BUT REFUSED TO L IE TO HELP HIS ACCUSERS AND THEY WERE ARRESTED. I BELIEVE THAT GOD WAS HELPING TO PREPARE ME FOR WHAT WAS TO COME. GOD NEEDED ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGHOUT HISTORY , PEOPLE THAT DARED TO STAND UP FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS AND AGAINST INJUSTICES WERE ROUTINELY CHARGED WITH CRIMES TO DESTROY THEIR CHARACTER AND TO MOVE THEM OUT OF THE WAY. GOD WAS ATTEMPTING TO SHOW ME THAT I WOULD SHARE A SIMILAR FATE. TIMES AND PEOPLE CHANGE THROUGHOUT HISTORY , BUT METHODS REMAIN THE SAME. TO ALL MY SUPPORTERS AND FRIENDS, THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN ME; FOR KNOWING THAT I DIDN'T SUDDENLY OVERNIGHT CHANGE MY STRIPES; FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS CLEARLY MORE TO THIS STORY; AND FOR BEING WILLING TO FIGHT WITH ME AND FOR ME UNTIL GOD'S JUSTICE PREVAILS. MAY GOD BLESS AND REWARD YOU ALL!

THE HONORABLE JUDGE TRACIE M. HUNTER, FEBRUARY 3, 2014