TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- A local attorney is calling out Leon Circuit Judge candidate, Christine Thurman, for a series of social media posts she made in 2014.
Mutaqee Akbar is a criminal defense attorney at Akbar Law Firm. He says, "What's key to being a judge is being impartial and not judging people before they come before you." That's why he brought attention to Christine Thurman's posts.
Akbar says, "She made disparaging comments about Muslims, in general, pretty much grouping them all together. Saying that all Muslims are terrorists, all Muslims pray to I quote "the God below".
He's referring to a series of meme-style Facebook posts Thurman made back in 2014. Thurman says, she posted them during a difficult time. She adds, "I was married to active-duty Army pilot. And he came back from the Middle East and suffered from traumatic PTSD, which triggered, of course, in my household a lot of PTSD response and domestic violence, which ultimately ended in divorce."
Thurman wants the community to get to know her for who she is today. She says, the posts she made in 2014 were insensitive and don't reflect how she feels. On the other hand, Akbar says a judge needs to be objective and he's concerned the posts show otherwise.
Akbar called out Thurman on Wednesday, saying he doesn't think someone who judges a group of people by the actions of a few should sit on the bench. He says, "I think all of us are entitled to whatever opinions we have. Whether they're disparaging, or racist, or divisive, but the judge position is so important."
Thurman says, she's committed to this community. She says, "I care about children. I care about families. I care about this community. For the last 4 years, that's what I've done. And not only the last 4 years, the last 15 years. It was just a tough period of time and I sincerely regret the posts."
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Leon Circuit judge candidate is getting called out by a local attorney for a series of derogatory social media posts.
Mutaqee Akbar is a local criminal defense attorney. He says, Christine Thurman's social media activity expresses hateful, racist views.
Akbar is referring to a series of 10 meme-style posts taking aim at Muslims and other minority groups.
He called her out on Facebook Wednesday, saying, "I truly believe that people who sit on the bench should not be the type of person who judges a whole group of people by the actions of a few."
Thurman's posts date back to 2014.
Thurman says she made the posts during a difficult time in her marriage. Her husband was an Army pilot returning home from the Middle East and suffering from PTSD.
Their marriage ended in divorce because of domestic violence.
"I'm sensitive that my comments would be deemed as very insensitive. But it was a period then and that's not who I am now," said Thurman. "And I want people to get to know who I am now."
Thurman changed her Facebook settings to private Wednesday after a slew of hate mail.
Thurman says, the posts she made in 2014 were insensitive and don't reflect how she feels.
On the other hand, Akbar says a judge has to be objective. He's concerned the post show otherwise.
