An Alabama probate judge faces indefinite suspension after allegedly postponing critical mental health hearings to walk her dogs while patients remained confined in hospital psychiatric wards, according to a judicial complaint that also accuses her of making racially charged comments about a white court clerk.

Critical Hearings Delayed for Personal Errands

Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard told court staff she arrived late to involuntary commitment proceedings because she needed to walk her three dogs, according to the complaint filed by the Judicial Inquiry Commission. The judge failed to hear a single involuntary commitment case during her first nine months in office, leaving mentally ill patients languishing in hospital wards without the legally required hearings to determine their status.

Hospital administrators contacted Blanchard’s office expressing outrage after one canceled hearing forced a patient to remain hospitalized for two additional weeks solely due to lack of access to the judicial process. Medical staff warned that docket cancellations disrupted hospital operations, delayed care for incoming patients, and created potential public safety threats. In one desperate email, an attorney pleaded with court staff not to postpone a hearing because he feared his client would die without timely intervention.

Racial Comments and Retaliation Alleged

The judicial complaint includes allegations that Blanchard targeted Chief Clerk Amanda Reid with racially charged remarks and workplace retaliation. On her first day, when a staff member mentioned liking Reid, who is white, Blanchard allegedly responded with a vulgar comment about preferring white people. The judge later moved Reid’s desk to a cubicle positioned directly in front of her bailiff, which investigators determined was retaliation for Reid complying with a commission subpoena.

Pattern of Incompetence and Chaos

The commission documented 24 separate instances of delayed or canceled hearings as part of a broader pattern of courtroom dysfunction. Blanchard allegedly arrived late to proceedings consistently, creating massive case backlogs that affected the most vulnerable populations requiring judicial oversight. The complaint charges the judge with seven violations of Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics related to incompetence, improper conduct, and failure to perform judicial duties. Her indefinite suspension removes her from the bench pending resolution of the ethics charges, which could result in permanent removal from office if sustained.