Alabama Probate Judge Suspended Over Misconduct

An Alabama probate judge has been indefinitely suspended from the bench following a formal complaint alleging a pattern of misconduct that includes racial remarks, repeated courtroom delays, and the mismanagement of critical mental health hearings. The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed the 120-page complaint against Jefferson County Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard on May 21, 2026, leading to her suspension the following day.

The complaint outlines seven charges against Blanchard, alleging violations of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics. Central to the allegations is a claim that Blanchard failed to hold any involuntary mental health commitment hearings for the first nine months of her term, creating a significant backlog. The document cites 24 specific instances of delayed or canceled hearings across guardianship, estate, and commitment matters.

These delays are alleged to have caused direct harm to patients. In one instance, a hospital emailed the court stating that a patient would remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks due to a canceled hearing, preventing her from being home for Thanksgiving and generating unnecessary costs and distress. An attorney also...