Opinion ID: 1612465
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Political speech

Text: ¶ 16. The subject of Judge Osborne's inflammatory statements was his criticism of a Caucasian mayor's appointment of two local African-Americans to the Greenwood Election Commission. While these statements admittedly were made by Judge Osborne during a year when he was campaigning for reelection as the incumbent county court judge, we do not find that these invidious statements constitute protected political speech under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Article 3, Section 13 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, as amended. ¶ 17. The United States Supreme Court addressed the issue of protected political speech in Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, 536 U.S. 765, 122 S.Ct. 2528, 153 L.Ed.2d 694 (2002). White stands for the proposition that in states which choose to elect their judges and which have judicial canons prohibiting judicial candidates from announcing their views on disputed legal and political issues such canons violate the First Amendment. White, 536 U.S. at 788, 122 S.Ct. 2528. In White, the Court had before it a factual scenario in which a candidate for associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court distributed literature criticizing several Minnesota Supreme Court decisions on issues such as crime, welfare and abortion. Id. at 768, 122 S.Ct. 2528. In discussing the procedural history of this case, the Court noted that the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals recognized that the announce clause both prohibits speech on the basis of its content and burdens a category of speech that is `at the core of our First Amendment freedoms' speech about the qualifications of candidates for public office. Id. at 774, 122 S.Ct. 2528 (citing Republican Party v. Kelly, 247 F.3d 854, 861, 863 (8th Cir. 2001)). ¶ 18. Traditionally, this Court, in assessing whether speech by a member of the judiciary is protected political speech, has applied the two-prong test promulgated in Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563, 88 S.Ct. 1731, 20 L.Ed.2d 811 (1968). Applying the Pickering test, a reviewing court looks to whether, in light of the content, form, and context of the speech at issue, the speech addresses a matter of legitimate public concern. Miss. Comm'n on Judicial Performance v. Boland, 975 So.2d 882, 891 (Miss.2008) (citing Scott v. Flowers, 910 F.2d 201, 210 (5th Cir.1990)). If the speech is not deemed to be a matter of legitimate public concern, the inquiry ends, otherwise, the next step of the inquiry is to balance the First Amendment rights of the public employee against the government's interest. Boland I, 975 So.2d at 891. ¶ 19. In Boland I, this Court found that Judge Boland was not engaging in political speech when she remarked on the ignorance of members of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, criticized the educational background and demeanor of justice court judges, told a participant to get the hell out of the room, and remarked that her African-American constituents in Hinds County could go to hell. Id. In applying the two-prong Pickering test, this Court held [s]ince Judge Boland's comment was not made within the content, form or context of a matter of legitimate public concern, no further analysis is necessary by this Court. Accordingly, we find that Judge Boland's comment was not protected by the First Amendment. Boland I, 975 So.2d at 892. In doing so, this Court distinguished Judge Boland from the judge in Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance v. Wilkerson, 876 So.2d 1006 (Miss.2004). Boland I, 975 So.2d at 892. This Court made that distinction on the basis that the judge in Wilkerson wrote a letter to a newspaper that contained commentary on his religious views on homosexuality without ever identifying himself as a judge. Boland I, 975 So.2d at 892 (citing Wilkerson, 876 So.2d at 1008). Without his permission, a radio show later aired a conversation Wilkerson had with a reporter concerning the letter. Id. (citing Wilkerson, 876 So.2d at 1008). ¶ 20. We find today's case comparable to the facts in Boland I inasmuch as Judge Osborne's commentary on Caucasian officials and their African-American appointees in his jurisdiction is not worthy of being deemed a matter of legitimate political concern in his reelection campaign, but merely an expression of his personal animosity. Therefore, inasmuch as Judge Osborne's comments [were] not made within the content, form or context of a matter of legitimate public concern, no further analysis is necessary by this Court. Boland I, 975 So.2d at 892. Likewise, this case is distinguishable from Wilkerson in that Judge Osborne was appearing at the meeting in his capacity as a judge-this was not a personal letter to the editor of his local paper. On the other hand, speaking before a group of his constituents, Judge Osborne no doubt expressed his disdain for the local Caucasian mayor and his African-American appointees in making his inflammatory remarks; however, he did not limit his remarks to commentary on the mayor and the mayor's appointments. Judge Osborne went further: White folks don't praise you [African-Americans] unless you're a damn fool. Unless they think they can use you. If you have your own mind and know what you're doing, they don't want you around. As we found in Boland I, Judge Osborne's comments were disparaging insults and not matters of legitimate public concern. Boland I, 975 So.2d at 892. Importantly, today's case is distinguishable from White in that Judge Osborne's disparaging insults went well beyond the realm of protected campaign speech expressing views on disputed legal and political issues and discussing the qualifications of the judicial office for which Judge Osborne was campaigning. ¶ 21. As a postscript on this issue, we direct our judges to the commentary under Canon 2 of the Mississippi Code of Judicial Conduct, which states in pertinent part: Public confidence in the judiciary is eroded by irresponsible or improper conduct by judges. A judge must avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety. A judge must expect to be the subject of constant public scrutiny. A judge must therefore accept restrictions on the judge's conduct that might be reviewed as burdensome by the ordinary citizen and should do so freely and willingly. ¶ 22. No one is compelled to serve as a judge, but once an individual offers himself or herself for service, that individual accepts the calling with full knowledge of certain limitations upon speech and actions in order to serve the greater good. A calling to public service is not without sacrifice, including the acceptance of limitations on constitutionally granted privileges. This principle is deeply rooted in many areas of government service. For example, members of the Armed Forces are limited in matters pertaining to outside employment. See 10 U.S.C. § 973(a) 1980. Likewise, some civil service employees are restricted from actively participat[ing] in political activity in any primary or election in a municipality where he is employed.... Miss.Code Ann. § 21-31-27 (Rev.2007). See also Miss.Code Ann. § 21-31-75 (Rev.2007). ¶ 23. In the end, we find that Judge Osborne's disparaging remarks were not protected speech under either our federal or state constitution. Accordingly, we agree with the Commission's findings that Judge Osborne's remarks violated Canons 1, 2(A) & (B), and 3(B)(5), thus causing the judge's conduct to be actionable under Section 177A of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890.