White federal judge's comment that Black defendant 'looks like a criminal' leads to appeals court tossing drug conviction and sentence
"This guy looks like a criminal to me," said U.S. District Judge Steven Murphy III, who is white, said about Leron Liggins, who is Black. "This is what criminals do. This isn’t what innocent people, who want a fair trial do."
lawandcrime.com
A man who was told by the federal judge overseeing his case that he “looks like a criminal” has had his drug conviction and sentence vacated by a unanimous appeals court panel.
Leron Liggins was sentenced in March 2022 to more than a decade behind bars for drug conspiracy and possession. According to the Department of Justice, Liggins was behind a plan to distribute heroin by hiding it in suitcases flown around the country to eventually be sold in Michigan. Prosecutors say that Liggins also paid others to travel around the country with drugs and cash hidden in their luggage in order to sell the drugs in other states.
Liggins’ four-year journey to conviction started with his arrest in February 2018. By January 2020, Liggins was seeking to get his attorney — the second one he had — removed from the case. At a hearing in January 2020 for the attorney’s withdrawal, U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy III made remarks about the defendant to the attorney he said wasn’t representing him adequately:
“This guy looks like a criminal to me,” Murphy, who is white, said about Liggins, who is Black. “This is what criminals do. This isn’t what innocent people, who want a fair trial do. He’s indicted in Kentucky. He’s indicted here. He’s alleged to be dealing heroin, which addicts, hurts and kills people, and he’s playing games with the Court.”
Murphy also said that he was “tired of this case” and “tired of this defendant.”
