(Brian A. Jackson/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
A Chicago judge reportedly faces review less than one year after being appointed to the bench, per the Chicago Sun-Times. Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman worked for the Cook County pretrial division until January 10. Another judge reassigned her after a text exposed a stereotypical meme that clowns Black children’s future.
The Chicago judge thought she sent a friend her husband’s “idea of Christmas humor.” What allegedly had hubby Goodman giggling was an artwork of a Black child on a fake Little Tikes ‘My First Ankle Monitor’ toy. The AI-generated image was reportedly from a TikTok video. However, according to one of Caroline’s friends, the judge mistakenly sent the racist joke to another judge after reportedly confusing contacts with similar names, per Injustice Watch.
As a result, Judge Timothy Evans temporarily reassigned Caroline Glennon-Goodman. This means she’ll no longer determine whether criminal defendants will face jail time, be freed, or be monitored with electronics like ankle bracelets. However, the specifics of her day-to-day duties are unclear.
Additionally, the incident has reportedly been referred to the Judicial Inquiry Board for further feedback on sanctions. In the meantime, Caroline will also face implicit bias training, and a former Cook County state attorney will fill in for her on the bench.
The Cook County Bar Association called out Caroline for circulating the AI-generated image. In their statement to Injustice Watch, the association refused to excuse the mistaken nature of the text.
“It is our understanding that the photo was meant to be shared with a different audience and that the judge involved has apologized profusely as a result,” CCBA told the outlet. “Nevertheless, such media is inappropriate to share regardless of the intended audience. Discernment and judgment are of utmost importance for the qualifications of a judge. Any judge should be unbiased enough to not further circulate such a racist trope.”
Specifics about Judge Goodman’s apology are unknown. The statement added that the image furthers negative narratives about Black people, particularly Black men, in the U.S. Ironically enough, Black Enterprise reports that the Chicago judge has a reputation for being lenient on detention requests. She began her law career as a public defender in 1997, and was supposed to be on the bench until 2030.
