Richard Cebull's Racist Obama Email To Be Investigated By 9th Circuit Court

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' chief judge has ordered an investigation of an email sent by a Montana federal judge containing a racist joke about President Barack Obama.

Judge Alex Kozinski of the 9th Circuit appointed a special judicial committee to investigate the alleged misconduct by Montana Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull, who last month admitted to forwarding an email that contained a racist joke about the president.

The email, sent in February and obtained by the Great Falls Tribune in March, contained a joke that compared African Americans to dogs and implied that Obama's mother had sex with animals. Cebull sent the message from his official courthouse email to seven recipients.

The judge claimed that he is not racist, but forwarded the email because he is "not a fan" of Obama. However, the message sparked a national firestorm, with many groups demanding that Cebull resign from his post.

Cebull later sent a letter of apology to the president. "I accept full responsibility," he wrote. "I have no one to blame but myself."

Kozinski appointed a five-person committee on March 23 to look into the judicial complaint, which was initiated by Cebull himself after the message was published.

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Comments

[Margaret Hendrix]

08:10 PM on 04/19/2012

if he's not a racist what is he?

[Journey4ever]

09:43 PM on 04/11/2012

OMG!!!! This is the kind of blasphemy that keeps ALL people hating and disrespecting each other. Its not just about the joke, its the blatent disrespect for the President. Who happens to be a very intelligent person and deserves better.
Also, why are we (the people) still allowing people in these positions to continue judging? It's a clear indication that he has a problem with people of different races and culture. We have to do better America. We can start by voting these types of people out of their positions.
Go out and register if you haven't done so already.

[WokeorSleep]

06:36 PM on 04/26/2012

For an elected or appointed official...one who is a servant in the judicial capacity to
defame the President of The United States sends a message to other world leaders
and the people of their countries that hate the U.S......this country is not UNITED.
And to add insult to injury....make such vile,degrading and discusstful statements
about the Pesident's mother is the lowest of low blows..His words have been made
public and he can't take them back........he expressed how he truly feels about
african americans..again generational teaching...He should be removed immediately
from office and never hold public employment in any capacity...Since Mr. Obama
has been President more of the white robes and hoods have emerged....continuing oppression and suppression against african americans...And not only
that but continued discrimination against senior citizens, disabled, low income,
mentaly ill deveopmentaly disatvantaged people etc., etc., etc. the list goes on.
He is a walking waste land.

[franklma]

10:04 AM on 04/10/2012

Revealing people like this, (there have been many others in the last 4 years) is a good thing. Now, black/brown people know that they have not melted into the melting pot and probably never will. Our conquerors never intended for us to be equal to them, but be in servitude to them. We now know why the majority of prisoners are people of color. A person of color esp. black and latino can do the same crime as a white person but will get 2-3 times more prison time. These situations have started a dialogue to really examine that there is no such thing as post-racial in America.

[Askia1955]

10:16 PM on 04/09/2012

Does anybody know how many cases involving African-Americans he has decided? Is there any doubt that he considered those cases fairly? Did he recieve this e-mail from other judeges who feel the same way, was it sent to judges? Has anyone seen the Documentary "Slavery by Another Name" which details the beginning of the Judicial Branch of Government's attack on the African-American male.

[chris784100]

07:25 PM on 04/09/2012

Shocking a racist judge from Montana, you have to be joking.

[PC Contrarian]

04:05 PM on 04/09/2012

If only the DOJ was as quick to investigate voter fraud;
which is far worse than an inappropriate joke by a judge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P5p70YbRiPw#!

[Askia1955]

10:22 PM on 04/09/2012

I agree with your comment on political correctness, but this is different, this is a person who has real power over other people's freedom, and apparently he thinks some of those other people are dogs or maybe even less than dogs. Should he be trusted to render a fair and impartial decision. How many dogs (Imean African-Americans), are in jail based on this man's ability to make a decision. Which apparently isn't very good since he decided to forward this form nof racism from the bench. I suppose thougyh you must be white, and feel that because your white it really doesn't matter. Suppose then it was a black judge who think whites come from dogs, would that make a difference? I also agree with you that voter fraud should be investigated.

[PC Contrarian]

10:19 AM on 04/10/2012

I didn't say that I approved of the joke, nor did I minimize it's inappropriateness; what I said was, Holder's DOJ minimizing voter fraud (and not doing anything about it) is far worse than an inappropriate joke by a judge.

Given that we're talking about one judge, he has far less influence than the entire DOJ.
BTW, I'm a strong believer in monitoring judges to make sure they are impartial; and if there is any evidence that he has made decisions based on race or any other prejudicial basis, then appropriate disciplinary actions should be taken.

[Rwin Hopkins]

09:39 AM on 04/09/2012

imagine all the dogs he's sent to prison for little to nothing. the new jim crowe.

[Beth3]

09:27 AM on 04/09/2012

You mean to tell me that he is still practicing and still has his job!!! He should have been gone the moment the e-mail got out. That was his calling card right there to be Fired not just to leave. And he also should be heald accountable with a moneytary fine as well.

[Beth3]

09:24 AM on 04/09/2012

Well. What can you expect of a man who president bush appointed. Come on people when are we going to be honest and see that people of like characters, if that's what you want to call it, are alike.

[Askia1955]

10:24 PM on 04/09/2012

I wonder if they changed the carpet and dishes after Colin Powell visited or Condalessa Rice.

[Ken7211]

01:36 AM on 04/09/2012

What happened to free speech? Is Obama so thin skinned he has to act like Hugo Chavez?

[vette086]

05:17 PM on 04/09/2012

I don't think the president remarked about the email.The CITIZENS are the ones upset about the disrespect of the office of the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,by a judge.then he apologized,and asked for an investigation, where was the fore thought before the email???

[franklma]

09:39 AM on 04/10/2012

Only Michelle Obama is upset!

[Askia1955]

10:30 PM on 04/09/2012

I think if President Obama was as thin skinned as you suggest, he would have fired the racist judge who is very likely making decisions on the lives of people he agrees are less than human. I think our president has exhibited very democratic principles by not rushing to judgement and allowing it to be investigated. I am not happy that he is allowing this racist to continue making judgements that affect people's lives, he should be sat down until the investigation is complete. What kind of judge could even make a decision to forward racism, no doubt to like minded buddies morely in white robes than black

[Gene Patten]

06:07 PM on 04/08/2012

Even though I can't stand Obama, the judge must be fired, it is not about race it is about respect for the office.and why does everyone refer to Obama as black he is Mulatto!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rwin Hopkins]

09:37 AM on 04/09/2012

mulatto means your mom was a horse and your father was a mule or something of the sort not a proper thing to call anyone. the man is black because that's how he's been treated. black people know exactly what i mean.

[Gene Patten]

09:32 PM on 04/09/2012

According to Websters dictionary Mulatto- When a person has one Black parent and one White parent as is the case with my grandchildren!!!

[Gene Patten]

09:37 PM on 04/09/2012

Obama is not treated like he is Black-He is protected like he is God and can do nothing wrong. Why won't he take responsibility for his bad record that he can't run on and just creates diversions.

[WokeorSleep]

07:03 PM on 04/26/2012

He is a MAN..an intelligent human being.

[palaydian]

04:11 PM on 04/08/2012

CEBULL SAY HE IS NO RASIC. JUST NOT A FAN. I AM NO DUMMY JUDGE, WOULD NEVER HAVE SOLD THE USA, FOR NY. SO TAKE YOUR LAME A%$3HOLE. BACK TO ENGLAND(1776). NICE TRY WE NEW BLACKS ARE VOTERS.

[Askia1955]

10:33 PM on 04/09/2012

judges don't run for office. The racist always say they're not racist what the heck. Negroes are not suppose to be intelligent enough to know the difference.

[looksee007]

01:34 PM on 04/08/2012

It is just evidence that racism exist in every institution in america. A lot of people are just quiet about it. They certainly are not as stupid as this judge to go about revealing his inner most feelings. Their are many many more judges, politicians, policemen, educators, corporations, and people that are in authority that share the exact sentiments as the judge in question, they are just good at hiding it a little better. Until we face this truth, well.....things will no doubt, be business as usual, and the country will go on pretending that this is just an isolated incident.....wink,,wink!

[Gene Patten]

06:10 PM on 04/08/2012

Especially in this Administration racism is evey prevelent.

[emanafunk]

12:00 PM on 04/08/2012

Nuttin gonna happen to the judge, he's a 'good ole fella and we'll look away to pixieland....

[Alienhairdo]

10:03 AM on 04/08/2012

he's gotta go