Court leaves black judge on case against white officer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Supreme Court is refusing to make a black judge quit the case of a white police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of a black man.

The justices without comment Friday turned down a request from officer Aaron Cody Smith of the Montgomery Police Department.

Smith is charged in the shooting death two years ago of 58-year-old Greg Gunn, who authorities say was walking in his neighbourhood when Smith shot him.

Defence attorneys sought a new judge based on social media posts of Circuit Judge Greg Griffin, who wrote about being stopped by police because he is black.

Griffin refused to step aside and accused the defence of injecting race into the case. Smith’s lawyers appealed.

A defence attorney didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.