Calling it a pervasive blight on our constitutional republic and the world at large, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has issued a statement decrying racism and other forms of bias.
The six justices say that the courts have a responsibility to dispense justice without any hint or appearance of racism or other bias, and that the recent killings of African Americans in Minneapolis, Louisville and Atlanta serve as a reminder of continuing racism.
The court says it has begun to reach out to people and resources that can help it better understand, identify and address all forms of racism. To that end, further training is being provided to judicial officers and other court staff. In addition, it says that measures are being integrated into court systems to prevent racism and other forms of discrimination from affecting the judicial process.