Broward Circuit Court Judge Ilona Holmes probably does not like bringing work back home with her, but sometimes works shows up anyway. Holmes, her sister and her sister’s family were ordered at gun point by several Broward Sheriffs Deputies on Easter Sunday in a botched police raid. The police went to the wrong address. Police were responding to a report of a break-in next door.
The address said the burglary was seen inside 235 Southwest 4th Street. But there is no 235. Only 236 and 230. The amazing thing is that the police decided to empty the house when they saw someone inside 230. They proceeded to then order the large family out of the house — apparently betting that they had a fifty-fifty shot at being right. They weren’t.
One of the family members was confronted by a gun pointing at her through the window as she did dishes from Easter dinner. She screamed that there was a burglar “and he’s going to shoot me!!” Judge Holmes, who carries a legal firearm, immediately ran into the kitchen armed. She said she demanded “Who are you!? What are you doing?!” When he responded “this is BSO,” she responded “this is Circuit Court Judge Ilona Holmes!!’”
She and the family were ordered out of the house and the judge, wisely, stated that she was armed. The police started screaming at her to put the gun down with their guns pointing at the judge. It was only after much screaming that a high-ranking deputy recognized the judge and told everyone to put away their guns. When the deputy said his colleagues did not know her as he did, she reportedly responded “everyone of ya’ll know me. Ya’ll been before me’.”
Well, they are certainly likely to remember now.
Here is the judge’s background from one site:
Judge Ilona Holmes graduated from Deerfield Beach High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree from Florida Atlantic University. Holmes then went on earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Holmes served as both an Assistant State Attorney in Dade County, and Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida before her appointment to the Broward County court and then Broward County Circuit court. She is a member of Faith Center Ministries and other community and civic organizations.
Source: NBC
If law enforcement officers keep doing things like this which end up with fatalities when supprised law abiding citizens try to defend themselves, the general public is going to have a total melt down. Some people might even consider open season on law enforcement officers in retaliation!!!
wondering why you’ve published the judge’e home address. you can make the point without putting a public officials personal details out there like this. that’s just reckless and dangerous.
Re:the cops not recognising the judge outside of the courtroom, I just love the instant assumption that it must be racism because the lady is black.
When I was employed in a uniformed role for many years, it was almost uncommon for someone to actually recognise me in my civvies and/or outside of my normal environment, even by people I would call friends, I saw it as simply a matter of context, not recognising a person (irrespective of colour) outside of their normal role could equally be seen as nothing more than a matter of context.
As an aside, it will take more than a single judge being roughed up by the local plod, unfortunately it will likely take multiple deaths in the most extreme of innocent circumstances to put them back in their box
I can recall screwups like this happening many times in southern California. In those cases innocent people died. Luckily in this case the cowboys didn’t kill anyone.
Dave Porter,
Truer words were never spoken, as it’s said. Thank you…
We’re in deep trouble… This I know from personal experience.
Why havent these righteous Christians said the affair was all part of Gods plan?
When bad things happen to others that is what they say. When bad things happen to them nary a word about their God.
With our civilian police forces so full of military veterans
and reservists, we now have what amounts to a militarized zone inside our own country.
George C. Marshall said it best: “No democracy can endure more than five years of war. The underlying principles of a republic cannot stand the constant erosion of civil liberties.”
All our cops come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, in the habit of treating us just like “those hajji ragheads.”
And we think the only cost of these ten-plus years of war are found in the budget deficit…
Prince George’s County Settles Suit Over Raid Of Md. Mayor’s Home
January 25, 2011
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/01/25/county-settles-suit-over-raid-of-md-mayors-home/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/30/AR2008073003299.html
“Racism is alive and well in the US and is exascerbated by Gestapo tactics on the part of some LEO’s, who believe their badge and gun makes them special.” – Mike Spindell
Yes. And the full truth is, as it’s said, so much “stranger than fiction.”