Jeremy Alford & David Jacobs: 80% of Louisiana’s DAs, district judges win office unopposed

By JEREMY ALFORD & DAVID JACOBS
Almost all of Louisiana’s candidates for district attorney and district judge this cycle will take office in the upcoming term without a vote of the people, overwhelmingly because they signed their names to qualifying forms this summer when no one else did.
Of Louisiana’s 42 district attorney elections, only 15 are being contested this cycle. Among district judges, the overwhelming majority of elections, or 162 out of 193, already are settled without a single vote being cast.
That means 80% of the entire district-level legal system in Louisiana won election in the easiest way possible •without opposition.
Why so few actual races for offices that wield so much discretionary power? And how much should we care?
“In an ideal world, I would like to see every race contested so that voters get the opportunity to hear from each candidate and make an informed decision on who they think is the best person for the job,” said Jesse Manley with Court Watch NOLA.
Judicial candidates, who must practice law for at least eight years before running, are subject to the same Board of Ethics rules as everyone else, plus the additional restrictions found in Canon 7 of the Code of Judicial Conduct. For example, they’re not supposed to personally solicit donations.
“The special nature of a judicial election likely makes it more difficult for a candidate to jump in,” Manley said.
The professional standards for judges limit the pool of candidates, he added. Given the weighty matters judges handle, a high bar is a good thing, Manley said.
As for DAs, they’re often the most powerful political figure in the parish, noted Senate Judiciary C Chair Jay Morris. That raises the stakes for anyone hoping to take on an incumbent.
“Most of our district attorneys are really good, and there’s a reason they’re unopposed,” Morris said.
As for judges, the same logic can apply: Not many attorneys relish the idea of taking on a sitting judge, losing, then facing that same judge in the courtroom. And many attorneys who would make excellent judges can earn far more money in the private sector.
Not having a choice at the ballot box makes it harder for people to feel represented by the judges who serve, potentially weakening confidence in the judicial system, said Lana Venable, executive director for Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch.
“Judges shape our legal climate as a state just as much as our legislators do,” she said. “The Legislature can pass reforms, but it’s the judges who ultimately decide how those laws are applied in courtrooms every day.”
But while most of the elections for district attorney and district judge have been decided without a fight, there are still quite a few races on the November ballot worth watching, including:
•In Orleans, Simone Levine, whose seat was among the three the Legislature eliminated this year, is running for criminal court judge against incumbent Kimya Holmes. Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglas, whose job also was eliminated, qualified to run for the seat currently held by Judge Leon Roché. But Roché chose to challenge incumbent Judge Camille Buras instead of running for reelection, and Goode-Douglas found herself unopposed. Meanwhile, Rep. Candace Newell is running against fellow Democrat Warren McKenna III for a spot on the civil court bench.
•The Legislature also has restructured East Baton Rouge’s 19th JDC, which included creating a new judgeship that is elected parishwide. Democrat Winston DeCuir Jr., who has served as counsel for LSU, Southern University and the UL System, is running for the parishwide seat against Republican attorney Justin DeLaune. A three-judge race to replace Tiffany Foxworth Roberts, after the Louisiana Supreme Court kicked her off the bench for misconduct, has emerged among three Democrats: ReAzalia Allen, A.J. Sabine and Vernon Thomas.
•Speaking of East Baton Rouge, longtime DA Hillar Moore has a serious opponent for the first time since his first run in Ryan Thompson, a former public defender. While both are Democrats, Moore has broad support among Republicans.
•On the Northshore, the 22nd JDC features three competitive judicial elections where everyone’s a Republican. Michele Moore Echols takes on Cameron Mary, Whitney Germany faces Luke Lancaster, and for the Division G seat, a five-candidate free-for-all: Ben Clayton, Jason Cuccia, Theo Jones, Amanda Trosclair and Angelina Valuri.
•Over in the 23rd JDC, which consists of Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes, only one judgeship is being contested, as incumbent Judge Jason Verdigets faces a feisty challenge from fellow Republican Kim Landry.
•In Jefferson Parish’s 24th JDC, Marko Marjanovic, executive counsel for Sheriff Joseph Lopinto, and attorney Joe McMahon are tussling over an open seat on the bench.
•A fierce race is underway for district attorney in Caddo Parish, as Sen. Alan Seabaugh challenges incumbent DA James Stewart, who was first elected in 2015. Also in the race are Libertarian Lauren Ray Anderson and Pat Gilley, who is not a member of a party. A favorable political environment in November for Democrats might help Stewart, but if the race goes to a lower-turnout December runoff between Stewart and Seabaugh, the conservative Republican Seabaugh likely would be favored.
•Incumbent DA Don Landry in Lafayette Parish’s 15th JDC faces a challenge from fellow Republican Kristian Earles, a retired judge. Landry’s assistant DA Gary Haynes was convicted for taking kickbacks, and while Landry was not implicated, the scandal in his office is a campaign issue.
•In the race for district attorney in the 2nd JDC, which serves Bienville, Claiborne, and Jackson parishes, longtime assistant DA Tammy Jump might have been heavily favored, even unopposed. But her husband has been arrested and accused of inappropriate behavior with juveniles, which could cast a pall over her candidacy. She is opposed by fellow Republican Rick Warren and “no party” candidates Colby Bowman and Jim Colvin.
•Over in the 21st JDC, which covers Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa, a close race for DA is expected between Assistant District Attorney Brad Cascio and former state representative Sherman Mack. The race has kicked up a side controversy, after a mailer from Mack’s campaign included images of checks the parish sent to the Moody Law Firm that employs Cascio. The mailer, which accused Cascio of excessively profiting from Livingston Parish’s litigation, showed the parish’s bank account and routing numbers, compromising the account’s security. Last week, the Livingston Parish Council voted to ask the attorney general’s office and the Board of Ethics to look into the matter.
•Grant Parish’s 35th JDC sees a blast from the past as incumbent DA Jay Lemoine is challenged by former DA Ed Tarpley, who held the position from 1991-1997.
•Caldwell Parish’s 37th JDC features a rematch between current DA Brian Frazier and Mark McKee, who also ran against Frazier in 2014.
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