Black judge tearing into DA during police killing trial goes viral

Judge Tammy Kemp (facing) called prosecutors and defense attorneys to the bench during pretrial arguments in the Amber Guyger murder trial in the 204th District Court at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas, Monday, September 23, 2019. Guyger shot and killed Botham Jean, an unarmed 26-year-old neighbor in his own apartment last year. She told police she thought his apartment was her own and that he was an intruder. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News/Pool)

The Amber Guyger murder trial started off day one with Judge Tammy Kemp seething over the District Attorney’s violation of a gag order by sitting down for an on-camera interview about the high-profile trial.

—As Amber Guyger, the former cop who killed Botham Jean, stands trial, his sister seeks justice—

Dallas County DA John Creuzot went against Kemp’s order to keep quiet about the case involving the murder of Botham Jean in his apartment by former police officer Guyger. Yet Crusot had a full-on interview with a local TV news crew with Fox affiliate KDFW about the trial.

On Monday, Kemp tore into the district attorney after it was brought to her attention by Guyger’s defense team, The Daily Mail reports.

“Oh, there was another interview last night?” Kemp asked.

“Yes your honor,” replied one of Guyger’s attorneys.

Kemp took a beat to compose herself, rolls her eyes, turned her chair backward and took deep breaths.

“Let me be clear, last night, the evening prior to the start of this trial, our elected DA did an interview about this trial?”

Guyger’s team followed up by insisting that their client can’t get a fair trial in Dallas and asked that the judge declare a mistrial.

Kemp, who appeared to be aggravated by the news of the DA’s defiance, asked the 12 jurors if any of them had seen the interview. They all said they had not.

—Trial begins for ex-Dallas cop who shot Botham Jean in his apartment—

After the trial concluded for the day, Kemp warned Assistant District Attorney Jason Hermus to tell his boss, that he is mandated to adhere to the gag order issued by the court.

The trial continues today.