BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Olu Stevens
| Olu A. Stevens | |
 | |
| Circuit court judge | |
| Kentucky Circuit Court 30 | |
| Tenure | |
| 2009 - Present | |
| Term ends | |
| January 1, 2023 | |
| Years in position | 7 |
| Salary | $125,000 (Chief $126k) |
| Elections and appointments | |
| Appointed by | Gov. Steve Beshear(D) |
| Appointed | July 1, 2009 |
| Education | |
| Bachelor's | Morehouse College, 1992 |
| J.D. | George Washington University, 1995 |
| Past experience | |
| Attorney, Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC | |
| 2006-2009 | |
| Assistant county attorney, Jefferson County | |
| 2002-2004 | |
Olu A. Stevens is a circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial Circuit, which presides over Jefferson County of Kentucky.[1] He was appointed to the court by Governor Steve Beshear (D) on July 1, 2009, and was elected by voters in November 2010.[2][3] Stevens was re-elected without opposition in 2014, winning an eight-year term that expires on January 1, 2023.[4]
Education
Stevens received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1992 and his J.D. from George Washington University Law School in 1995.[5][6]
Career
- 2009-Present: Circuit court judge, 30th Judicial Circuit
- 2006-2009: Attorney, Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC, Louisville, Ky.
- 2002-2004: Assistant attorney of Jefferson County, Louisville, Ky.
- 1996-2006: Principal, Olu A. Stevens, PLLC, Louisville, Ky.
- 1996: Admitted to the Kentucky Bar [5][6]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2001: General Practice Link Bar Leader of the Year Award, American Bar Association
- 2001: University of Louisville Adopted Alumni Society Award
- 2000: Outstanding Volunteer Lawyer Award, Legal Aid Society [5]
Associations
- Member, Louisville Bar Association
- Member, Kentucky Circuit Judges Association
- Member, American Bar Association [5]
Elections
2014
-
- See also: Kentucky judicial elections, 2014
| Stevens ran for re-election to the 30th Judicial Circuit. General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.[4] |
2010
-
- See also: Kentucky judicial elections, 2010
Stevens was elected to the Thirtieth Circuit on November 2, 2010. He defeated challenger Thomas Joseph Cannon with 60.55 percent of the vote.[7][8]
| “ | I will continue to treat each person that comes before me with dignity and respect. I will continue to make decisions based upon an impartial application of the law to the facts of the case, without regard to the identity or the race of the litigant. I will continue to allow individuals who appear before me to fully present their positions before making a ruling on the case.[9] | ” |
—Judge Olu Stevens[10]
| ||
Notable events
Controversial Facebook posts (2015)
In November 2014, Stevens dismissed a jury panel, at the request of a black public defender, because the panel was made up of 40 white people and one black person. Commonwealth Attorney Tom Wine of Jefferson County questioned Stevens' impartiality based on Facebook posts the judge had made about his decision to dismiss the jury. Stevens wrote, "Granting a defense motion to dismiss a jury panel of 40 whites and 1 black does not make me a racist. And calling people on racist language doesn’t make me a racist either," one post read.[11]
In a request to Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton, Jr. sent on November 18, 2015, Wine asked that Judge Stevens be removed from all criminal cases. A day before Wine's request, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Dorislee Gilbert requested that Stevens be removed from two cases for "inflammatory" comments made online. Chief Justice Minton removed Stevens from those cases later that day.[12]
In his request, Wine asked the supreme court for clarification on whether Stevens had the power to dismiss a jury based on racial composition. He also said that Stevens' post claiming that Wine "set the media on (him) to deceive the people while he does his deeds" could cause jury members to be biased against the commonwealth attorney's office.[11] Stevens defended himself online:
| “ | Going to the Kentucky Supreme Court to protect the right to impanel all-white juries is not where we need to be in 2015. Do not sit silently. Stand up. Speak up.[9] | ” |
—Olu Stevens[12]
| ||
Chief Justice John D. Minton, Jr. ordered Stevens and Wine to undergo mediation conducted by a four-person panel. He made his decision on December 2, 2015, and gave the two until Saturday to complete the mediation. He declined to remove Stevens from all criminal cases, saying "disqualification from all criminal cases would be highly disruptive not only for the litigants but for the justice system as a whole."[13] Read the chief justice's full order below.
Under fire for criticizing victims (2015)
Stevens reportedly faced criticism by some members of the public after he reprimanded Jordan and Tommy Gray for "fostering" a racial stereotype in their 5-year-old daughter. Two years earlier, two armed black men had broken into the Gray's home while the young girl was watching television, and robbed them while holding the family at gunpoint. One of the robbers, Gregory Wallace, was sentenced on February 4, 2015. For the sentencing, Jordan Gray wrote a victim impact statement saying that her daughter was still afraid of all black men. "It has affected her friendships at school and our relationships with African-American friends," she wrote.[14] The parents believed that probation was not enough of a punishment for Wallace. The Grays were not present at the sentencing, but Stevens said he was "deeply offended that they would be victimized by an individual and express some kind of fear of all black men."[14] He also stated that although their daughter was victimized and couldn't help the way she feels, he believed the fault was with parents for "accepting that kind of mentality." He sentenced Wallace to five years of probation.[14]
After the sentencing, Stevens again was reportedly criticized and accused of being a racist. He and his family received alleged death threats resulting in the need for enhanced security. "I will not be intimidated and I am not deterred," he wrote on Facebook. He also stated in an interview, "I wasn't criticizing the victims, I was criticizing a statement that I thought was a generalization against an entire race of people."[15]
Various Facebook pages were created, both critical and supportive, including: Olu Stevens needs to be fired and Support Judge Olu Stevens.[16]
Law professor Ronald Rotunda said she believed Stevens violated the Code of Judicial Conduct. "The judge, acting like a pop psychologist, decides to attack the little girl and her parents. Then, after the judge … has a chance to cool down … he goes on Facebook and does it all over again. The judge should be a little more judicious," he said. There has also been support for Judge Stevens. Attorney Allan Cobb said of Stevens, "As a person and a judge, he loves people and wants each and every person he meets to live the best, most positive and most profound life they can."[15]
On November 20, an estimated 100 demonstrators calling themselves the "West Louisville Urban Coalition" rallied across from the Hall of Justice building. Among them was Stevens' wife, Raymonda Stevens. She said, "It is about justice, it is about equality, it is about inclusion."[17]
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