ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997 TAG: 9702270007
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROBERTA A. BONDURANT
YOUR FEB. 15 news article on Judge Joseph Bounds (``Some say he's crossed a line") was mean-spirited and disappointing. With a handful of "unnamed sources" and little independent investigation, you tarnished an excellent judge's reputation on the eve of the House Courts of Justice Committee's appointment of a new 23rd Judicial Circuit Court judge. Your timing is what discredits your story.
Why had these allegations regarding racist and sexist comments never appeared in The Roanoke Times before? Your staff writer stated that ``most of the comments the sources cited were made before last July 1.'' A complaint was made to a Circuit Court judge, who handled the matter by having a third-party talk to Judge Bounds, and, apparently, ``the sources knew of no complaints since then.''
Since the juvenile courts have been open to the public, your reporters have had plenty of freedom to investigate and report on any untoward comments. But nothing, until now.
One can surmise that at least one lawyer with a political agenda or an ax to grind, and perhaps a few lay witnesses, spoke to your staff writer regarding alleged racist and sexist comments in an effort to generate bad publicity and thwart Judge Bounds' chance to be appointed as a Circuit Court judge.
Or should we look to this newspaper as the new and improved, self-appointed Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission?
This tabloid stunt is the stuff that breeds public cynicism toward the bar, not to mention the press. Shame on the lawyer or lawyers who didn't offer their own name in print before they besmirched a colleague's, and shame on staff writer Laurence Hammack and his editors for printing such garbage.
I appeared in General District and Juvenile court as an assistant public defender from 1988-1992, during which time Judge Bounds acted as a substitute judge. I represented indigent people, women and minorities among them, in high volume.
Not once did I hear Judge Bounds utter a racist or sexist comment. He never conducted himself as anything less than a gentleman. He was consistently fair, straightforward and courteous to the parties and their attorneys.
He is a no-nonsense judge in a court that requires his style. Because of the tragic nature of many juvenile and domestic proceedings, parties can often allow their courtroom behavior to degenerate. He manages his courtroom with a firm hand, but not without compassion.
I trust that discerning readers took the 11th-hour allegations by unnamed sources for what little they were worth.
Roberta A. Bondurant is a former assistant public defender for Roanoke city.
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