An Alabama judge has been suspended indefinitely following a sweeping 120-page complaint filled with dozens of allegations, including racism, bullying, intimidation, and delaying cases to walk their dog.

The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed seven charges with the Court of the Judiciary against Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard on Thursday, May 21, according to 1819news. Blanchard, who was elected to the position in November 2024, has been formally accused of judicial and ethical misconduct.

“Judge Blanchard’s conduct has degraded the public’s confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and brought the judicial office into disrepute,” the complaint states, according to the news site.

The Alabama judge has been charged with a litany of allegations. According to the formal complaint, Blanchard caused unnecessary delays in many cases, including involuntary commitments and probate cases.

In one instance, Blanchard allegedly told her staff that she would be late to an involuntary commitment docket as she had three dogs to walk, Al.com reports.

According to the Judicial Inquiry Commission, the news portal reports, Blanchard slowed down the commitment process by taking over cases that were earlier handled by the Probate Court Place 2 and assigning them to herself. The complaint alleges that it took nearly nine months for the first commitment case to reach Blanchard’s docket, and even then, the hearings were delayed.

The complaint further states that Blanchard’s inconsistent hearing schedule caused some patients to stay longer in hospitals or miss out on necessary treatment. In one case, a hearing was canceled, forcing a patient to remain in a facility and miss Thanksgiving with her family. The suspended Judge allegedly responded only after the hospital staff had already reached out to Blanchard three times, urging her to hear the patient’s case.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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At the same time, the complaint alleges that by January 2026, mental health officers claimed that around 120 patients were still in the community and could not be committed because Blanchard failed to hold hearings on time as the number of cases increased. One probate case was reportedly rescheduled four times, according to the complaint.

In another alleged instance, a clerk whose sister was dying of cancer asked to transfer back to Birmingham; but Blanchard allegedly never responded, and the clerk couldn’t reach the hospital in time.

Blanchard is also accused of improperly removing and assigning cases involving law firms that handle private estates and trusts worth millions. Such actions, the complaint says, were the result of personal disagreements.

According to the complaint, Blanchard removed attorneys from the law firm of Hand Arendall acting as conservators in probate cases, without following due procedure or giving any legal justification.

Moreover, lawyers from Hand Arendall also filed a lawsuit against Blanchard in February 2026, accusing her of overstepping her authority and ordering detailed financial audits on accounts previously handled by them.

Suspended Judge Blanchard has been further accused of bullying and retaliation against her staff.

According to Al.com, the complaint alleges that since the very first day on her job, Blanchard began a “pattern and practice of bullying and retaliation against probate court staff.”

In their formal complaint, the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission alleges that Blanchard, who is Black, had a personal grudge against her chief clerk, Amanda Reid, who is a White person.

Blanchard allegedly asked another employee if they liked Reid. When the latter responded that they did, the Judge allegedly retorted, saying, “Oh, I forgot you all like kissing White a**.”

Blanchard, who allegedly “directed her ire toward Ms. Reid” more than she did with any other employee, put the chief clerk on a “performance improvement plan” on May 13 and moved her from her office to a cubicle near Blanchard’s bailiff.

In another alleged incident on Jan. 5, 2026, Blanchard threatened employees, saying she would fire or suspend them if they complained against her.

Blanchard now has 30 days to respond to the complaint before the Court of the Judiciary holds a hearing.

Meanwhile, in Blanchard’s place, Retired Judge Sherri Friday has been appointed Special Probate Judge, and Retired Judge Carole Smitherman has been appointed the interim Chief Election Official, WBRC reports.