Alabama Probate Judge Suspended Over Alleged Racial Remarks and Delayed Hearings

An Alabama probate judge has been suspended indefinitely after the Judicial Inquiry Commission filed a complaint alleging she made a racial remark about a white court clerk and postponed involuntary commitment hearings to walk her dogs. The complaint states that on one occasion Judge Yashiba Blanchard told staff she was late to her involuntary commitment docket because she had three dogs to walk.

The commission documented 24 instances of hearings delayed or canceled, including one case in which hospital staff said a patient would remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks due to the postponement.

In another instance, an attorney wrote that he hoped a hearing would not be continued because he was worried his client was going to die. The complaint says Blanchard did not hear any involuntary commitment cases until nine months into her term, which began after her election on November 5, 2024.

" Reid's desk was later moved to a cubicle in front of the bailiff after she complied with a commission subpoena, according to the filing.

Blanchard faces seven charges for violating provisions of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics. The Judicial Inquiry Commission filed the complaint detailing the allegations, and the judge has been suspended from the bench indefinitely.