Former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter was sentenced to six months in jail on Monday in Cincinnati and was dragged out of the courtroom
An Ohio courtroom erupted into utter chaos when a former judge was sentenced to six months in jail for using her position to help a family member, leading protesters to shout in fury and an officer to drag the shocked judge out of the room.
Former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter was sentenced to six months in jail on Monday in Cincinnati for a 2014 conviction of felony interfering with a contract.
She illegally passed her youth corrections officer brother confidential documents as he faced a disciplinary hearing and his job was on the line.
More than two dozen protesters, many wearing ‘Justice for Judge Tracie M. Hunter’ T-shirts opposed her sentence and one woman was arrested for trying to block officers from handcuffing Hunter in the courtroom.
Hunter seemed to be paralyzed by shock upon hearing the sentence and with her legs locked straight, was dramatically dragged out of the court room by an officer.
On Monday former judge Tracie Hunter was sentenced to six months in jail, convicted of a felony count of unlawful interest in a public contract for helping her brother when his job was on the line back in 2014
Monday’s sentence comes after several appeals were exhausted. After her sentence was announced Hunter (in white) stood up as if ready to hand herself over
As officers approached her protesters in the courtroom cried out and one even tried to block officers from handcuffing her. The uproar shocked Hunter (in white) being taken away by officers
Shocking video from court shows the moment Hunter goes limp with shock and an officer physically drags her across the room and out to prison
She was convicted in 2014 of felony interfering with a contract for improperly passing information on to her brother Stephen Hunter, a youth corrections officer, when his job was on the line.
On July 7, 2013 Stephen Hunter allegedly struck a young offender while on the job.
His boss recommended he be fired and Tracie Hunter then improperly demanded and received documents about the hit teen and passed the confidential papers to her brother in an effort to help him keep his job as he faced a disciplinary hearing for his court job, according to prosecutors as per NBC.
Monday’s sentence comes after several appeals were exhausted.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker said in court Monday that he had received numerous letters and recommendations urging that Hunter not be incarcerated.
In the end, he ordered she serve time, sparking outrage and disapproval in the courtroom.
Hunter was the first African American elected to Hamilton County’s Juvenile Court in 2010. She says her prosecution was politically motivated
In addition to the six month jail sentence, she will also serve one year of probation after leaving the Hamilton County Justice Center
Shocking video from the courtroom shows Hunter get up after hearing her sentence, willing to hand herself over to officers, before she became paralyzed with shock and had to be dragged out of the room.
In the video shouts break out from the court and a protester is seen running towards the defense table towards the officers to block them from cuffing Hunter.
Hunter then seems to go limp as an officer helps her stagger to the front of the court room.
Hunter, her face blank with shock, then gives up on using her legs and the officer is seen dragging her across the room.
The protester who ran towards the officers is also seen being taken away in handcuffs.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker said in court Monday that he had received numerous letters and recommendations urging that Hunter not be incarcerated but in the end he ordered her to six months behind bars
Pastor Lesley Jones is comforted by others after former judge Tracie Hunter unter was ordered to serve a six-month jail sentence on Monday
A woman is taken into custody after jumping the rail after former judge Tracie Hunter was ordered to serve her sentence of six-months in jail on Monday
That protester – wearing a shirt that said ‘Justice for Judge Tracie M. Hunter – was handcuffed and taken out of the court by officers
In addition to her six-month jail sentence she will also serve one year of probation after leaving the Hamilton County Justice Center.
Hunter was the first African American elected to Hamilton County’s Juvenile Court in 2010. She says her prosecution was politically motivated.
‘I violated no laws, I did not secure a public contract, I did not secure employment for my brother who worked for the court for about seven years before I was elected judge. They need to drop these unrighteous and I believe unlawful charges against me,’ Hunter said to WLWT in Cincinnati on Sunday.