Vegas lawyer’s ‘Black Lives’ protest resembles Ohio case
LAS VEGAS — A deputy public defender in Las Vegas who defied a judge’s request that she not wear a “Black Lives Matter” pin in court has become the latest voice of protest in a national debate over police brutality and race relations.
Erika Ballou’s protest comes two months after a black defence attorney in Ohio was arrested on a contempt of court charge for wearing a similar pin in a municipal courtroom — prompting a debate about where to draw the line between courtroom decorum, political speech and free expression.
Youngstown, Ohio, defence attorney Andrea Burton said Wednesday she settled a federal civil rights lawsuit on Sept. 1 with an agreement that allows her to wear the pin in the courthouse — but not in the courtroom.
“We agreed to apply a dress code evenly, so that officers also can’t be in a courtroom with black tape over their badges,” Burton said during a vacation in Las Vegas.