A Louisiana judge blamed sedatives after video emerged of her and her family apparently using racial slurs
- A judge faces backlash after video emerged that seems to show her and her family using racial slurs.
- Judge Michelle Odinet told KLFY News 10: "I was given a sedative at the time of the video."
A Louisiana judge blamed sedatives after a surveillance video surfaced that appears to show her and her family using racial slurs in the aftermath of a burglary attempt.
Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet told Louisiana's KLFY News 10 on Tuesday: "I was given a sedative at the time of the video. I have zero recollection of the video and the disturbing language used during it."
A video that appears to show security footage from Odinet's home emerged on social media on Monday. In the video, people can be heard laughing and giggling as they watch surveillance footage of a burglary attempt.
In the video, a male can be heard saying the N-word twice. A woman responds and also says the N-word twice. "Like a roach," she says as she laughs.
In her statement to KLFY, Odinet said her "mental state was fragile" following the alleged burglary.
The judge added: "Anyone who knows me and my husband knows this is contrary to the way we live our lives. I am deeply sorry and ask for your forgiveness and understanding as my family and I deal with the emotional aftermath of this armed burglary."
The Lafayette Police Department confirmed to local media that an attempted burglary of a vehicle happened at Odinet's home at around 2 a.m. on Saturday.
But Lafayette police Sgt. Paul Mouton told KLFY that the suspect — a Black man — did not have a weapon in his possession at the time of his arrest, even though Odinet described the incident as an armed burglary.
A slew of local politicians and civil-rights groups have since spoken out.
The city's mayor-president said he was "disgusted and appalled" by the video, and the Lafayette Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has called on Odinet to resign.