A judge whose impassioned speech to at-risk youth went viral says that she didn’t even realize the cameras were rolling at the time.
Bibb County Superior Court Judge Verda Colvin went viral when she brought a group of teens to tears during her “Consider the Consequences” class, telling them that they would have to face the consequences of poor choices if they continued on that path.
—Judge Brings At-Risk Teens to Tears: ‘Stop Acting Like You’re Trash’—
“You can be in this body bag,” Colvin said of the possible consequences for the kids as she unfolded a white body bag. “And the only way somebody’s going to know you’re in here is because of this tag.”
—Judge to Convicted Murderer: ‘Black Lives Don’t Matter to Black People w/ Guns’—
Colvin said that she didn’t realize she was going to go viral, admitting, “I did not expect or anticipate that was going to be recorded.”
—Judge Arrested for DWI On Her Way to Court, Previously Worked in ‘Drunken Driving Bureau’—
Still, she said, she was glad the video got out there, because she wants the message to resonate.
“For some reason there was a decision to tape it and I have to think it was predestined because I didn’t plan it. … I wanted to speak to their hearts and that’s what I did. … I am shocked that it has gone that far … I’m continually amazed because it renews what I’ve always thought – at the end of the day, everybody really cares about everybody else.”
