The Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct has issued a formal reprimand to a sitting Burnet County judge who posted on Facebook a photo of a black murder suspect accused of killing a police officer with the comment, ​“Time for a tree and a rope.” Judge James Oakley (pictured), who is white, denied that the comment about Otis Tyrone McKane was a race-based reference to lynching. ​“My comment was intended to reflect my personal feelings that this senseless murder of a police officer should qualify for the death penalty. In my mind, the race/​gender of the admitted cop killer was not relevant,” he told the commission. That is not how observers of the post saw it: 18 people filed written complaints to the Commission about Oakley’s comment. The reprimand said, ​“Multiple Complainants also questioned Judge Oakley’s suitability for judicial office, and expressed doubts that he could perform his duties impartially.” Oakley will be required to attend a 30-hour training for new judges and receive 4 hours of racial sensitivity training with a mentor, but will not be removed from office or excluded from presiding over any class of cases. In its reprimand, the Commission wrote, ​“During the appearance, Judge Oakley made certain statements that indicated to the Commission that he could benefit from racial sensitivity training with a mentoring judge.” The incident was reminiscent of an incident in March in which a white Seminole County, Florida court employee posted a comment on Facebook that black State Attorney Aramis Ayala ​“should be tarred and feathered if not hung from a tree,” for announcing that she would not seek the death penalty. After an investigation into the circumstances surrounding that posting, the clerk resigned his position.

(E. Findell, ​“Judge must undergo sensitivity training after ​‘tree and a rope’ post,” Austin American-Statesman, May 6, 2017; ​“Texas judge reprimanded for ​‘tree and a rope’ post,” Associated Press, May 7, 2017.) See Race.

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