Friday, March 16, 2012

Race for District Judge already generating interest

It’s still months away, but the race for District Judge is shaping up. Mike Nerren, Whit Graves and John Slattery are vying for the position.
Mike Nerren has a Facebook page up, but it is lacking in biographical information. Nerren is an assistant DA and has a successful law practice. I’m sure more information will be available online as the race develops.
Nerren should have the advantage in fundraising. In addition to having the support of the DA’s crowd he also is supported by Mayor Lo Walker, City Marshal Lynn Austin and a couple of councilmen, as well as some heavy hitting political contributors.
Whit Graves is a Bossier City attorney who has experience in law enforcement (as a state trooper), as an ADA and as a defense attorney. Graves will have a website and more public exposure soon.
Judge John Slattery already has a website up as well as a Facebook page. Judge Slattery says “I understand that my decisions affect people’s lives, and I take that responsibility very seriously. As a juvenile drug court judge, I take pride in the young people that we were able to assist who are now happy, productive citizens rather than an unhappy burden on society.”
His professional qualifications are listed on the website.
  • Appointed as Judge Pro Tem: 26th Judicial District Court
  • Appointed as Judge Pro Tem: Bossier City Court
  • 12 Years Springhill City Court Judge
  • 10 Years Juvenile Drug Court Judge
  • 2012 Member of Board of Governors — LA Judicial College
  • Louisiana City Judges Association — President- 2009-2010
  • National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
  • Louisiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
  • 15 years Assistant District Attorney—26th Judicial District Court Bossier and Webster Parishes
  • 29 Years of Civil Practice at McConnell & Slattery
  • Louisiana City Attorneys Association — President: 1989-1990
  • Former President of Webster Parish Bar Association
  • Member of Bossier and Webster Bar Association
  • Serves on the Bar Association Client Assistance Fund Committee
  • Member of House of Delegates for Louisiana Bar Association 1987-2010
  • Legal Counsel for North Webster Parish Industrial District
  • Former Law Clerk for the 1st Judicial District Court
  • Former Member of Board of Directors of Northwest Louisiana Legal Services

We’ll keep you posted from time to time.
As I said, it is a long time until the election this fall and these candidates all have plenty of time to get their message out to the people. This could be a very interesting election, particularly if Judge Slattery can carry Webster Parish by a large margin.

35 comments:

  1. Aren't Robinson, Bolin and Stinson all retiring? 3 vacant seats and 3 people running doesn't seem like a race at all.

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  2. Re: 3:35, as far as I have heard this race is for the position now held by Bruce Bolin.

    I doubt that Slattery can count on carrying Webster Parish by a wide margin. I am from Webster Parish and the only way I would vote for him is if he were running for dog catcher. And then, only because we don't have any dog catchers anymore, and one is badly needed. The reason he holds his job is that there are only two lawyers left in North Webster, Slattery is the judge and the younger, more incompetent Jacobs is the city attorney. Regardless of his incompetence, Jacobs never loses, only guilty people are ever prosecuted in Webster Parish, and there is no need to even bother with trials in the first place.

    Besides all of that, the people of North Webster Parish are all angry and split up and bickering right now, like this old man has never seen before. The simple fact that Slattery has been living in Springhill for a long time will be reason enough for 75% of the voters from the rest of Webster Parish to vote against him. It is the same sentiment--Springhill/Cullen is S'port, and the rest of North Webster is Bossier Parish.

    In addition to the usual "we're good, they're bad", and the school consolidation resentments, every North Webster fire district has been involved in scandal and is in upheaval. The citizens are badly divided over this matter, and Slattery has been heavily involved, especially in the currently on-going struggle in Cotton Valley.

    It would not surprise me if Slattery would get a bigger percent of the vote in Bossier Parish, where fewer people know anything about him, than in Webster Parish.

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  3. 3:35 AM - As the 2nd commenter said, this is a special election to replace Judge Bolin, who retired. The judges' race isn't until 2014.

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  4. Mike Nerren, is a pretty good guy and he's got my vote. hope he wins.

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  5. If these are the 3 candidates, Nerren wins without a runoff.

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  6. Now that we have heard from the da's office, what does everyone else think?

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  7. Nerren is a cut-throat snake. Typical old Bossier sell out. As long as he can personally profit he will be all for it.

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  8. How has the last DA choice faired since his election. Haven't anything about Judge Craig on here in a long time. Can we use his performance so far to trust the candidate backed by the DA

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    1. Mike Craig lacks in integrity. I do believe his misuse and abuse of his authority is soon to be shown to the public. He has recently supported a known, admitted drug dealer. He turns his head away from factual evidence without basis and punishes some while ignoring the illegal activity of others. I have to wonder who is in his back pocket?

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    2. Wow... I am so thrilled to see that someone else has been speaking out against Mike Craig. Lack of integrity is an understatement. I sincerely hope that Mike Craig pays for the injustice he has done while on the bench. He certainly does turn a "blind eye" to admitted, known drug-dealer activity even when children are involved.

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    3. I was recently fired from little ceasars for sending emails i was told to send about drug use happening in store. Someone had already tpld the area manager and i had no intentions of telling him until i was threatened with my job. Our last area manager died of an overdose according to the employees thats all they would talk about. The manager who fired me a taylor craig is said to be related to judge craig. All i know is the fact we were both bpcc students someone removed the emails i was told to send to hr from the bpcc student library. Little did anyone know everything i do was from home on a laptop. When i confronted bpcc student services they asked if i logged all the way out and i told them everything was done at home they looked surprised all they would tell me is yes someone accessed my student email on feb 4th 2015but were not allowed to tell me who. When i called the area manager and asked him what was going on he said it was all in my head until i told him u had already printed copies i had sent then he told me the investigation was over when i replied i had been using a tape recorder on phone conversations he hung up. I take a tape recorder every where these days. I went to bbb,eeoc,la workforce,bpd,bpcc two state representatives because i had to drop all my classes and cant get a job now because i was told im being blackballed meaning i will not be hired anywhere. With half dosen job apps all said be ready ti start work then when i show up its who are you we arent hiring or we hired people six weeks ago. I was told by one business i appled at that they were told not to hire me but they would also get in trouble and if asked thet would deny ever saying it he only tokd me because we know eachother way back. I was also told i would never be able to go back to bpcceven with the appeal process. Finally i sent amessage to fbi internet investigations and sent copies of recordings and emails to a reative out of state. I was told this was to big to let it go but i have nowhere to go all money and everything i own spent trying to stay in school bpcc personel dont even care. I was told a little while ago they will be sending people to harras me may even take me to jail fir talkung about this. All i have left to lose is my life they will have to take that too i will not stop calling as many people as i can to report this.

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  9. Judge Craig is an excellent judge. Good demeanor.

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    1. Demeanor has nothing to do with being a good judge. A good judge has integrity, is not paid off, rules on the facts of a case, and corrects his/her mistakes when it is OBVIOUS he had made one!!

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    2. Anonymous.... I could have written your blog for you.

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    3. Mike Craig is a corrupt joke.

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  10. I do agree that Springhill and Webster Parish is messed up but I don't agree about what APO said about Judge Slattery. He is a good man and has helped lots of folks with their troubles. I say Judge Slattery is the best man for the job and should be voted Judge. He has the experience as a judge where the others do not.

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  11. APOV, first off, read "Rules of the Road" #1 for posting a comment, which says "No peronal attacks or insults." While saying you would not vote for someone be elected dog catcher even in a town with no dog catchers may seem like what you normally would say in a friendly manner, the rest of the world would most likely consider it an insult. If the host of this blog is actually reading this, please, enforce your rules and remove APOV's entire post.

    ...However, just in case your posting does not get removed, I pose the following questions...

    First, what candidate for dog catcher or judge has the qualifications of Judge Slattery?

    (Appointed as Judge Pro Tem: 26th Judicial District Court
    Appointed as Judge Pro Tem: Bossier City Court
    12 Years Springhill City Court Judge
    10 Years Juvenile Drug Court Judge
    2012 Member of Board of Governors — LA Judicial College
    Louisiana City Judges Association — President- 2009-2010
    National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
    Louisiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
    15 years Assistant District Attorney—26th Judicial District Court Bossier and Webster Parishes
    29 Years of Civil Practice at McConnell & Slattery
    Louisiana City Attorneys Association — President: 1989-1990
    Former President of Webster Parish Bar Association
    Member of Bossier and Webster Bar Association
    Serves on the Bar Association Client Assistance Fund Committee
    Member of House of Delegates for Louisiana Bar Association 1987-2010
    Legal Counsel for North Webster Parish Industrial District
    Former Law Clerk for the 1st Judicial District Court
    Former Member of Board of Directors of Northwest Louisiana Legal Services)

    Not only would I vote for this man in this race for judge, but I would also vote for him in any other race for any other office. Few men of integrity still exist in today's society; however, Judge John Slattery is one of those few. If you believe the contrary, you are ill informed.

    On a parting note, what is wrong with being a judge in a district where they "only prosecute guilty people"? There must be something wrong with the justice system in other districts where innocent people are brought to stand trial. Wait a moment, who is responsible for deciding which cases should be prosecuted? I think we all know the answer to that. Perhaps your scrutiny should be turned elsewhere to an institution more worthy of the criticism.

    Thank you for your time.

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  12. I don't know about APOV, but I know John Slattery myself, he is a smart aleck, and I just don't like him. Obviously the thing about only guilty people is said in jest and you need a sense of humor to understand it. It means that the judge and prosecutors are in cahoots, and that the judge does not do his job as an impartial jurist, they just work out what they are going to do to the citizens under the table.

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  13. I don't think saying 'I wouldn't vote for him for dogcatcher' rises to the level of insult to remove a comment.
    You must not have been reading My Bossier for any length of time, you would know a good insult when you saw it.

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  14. I would say calling Jacobs incompetent is an insult. His parents are both retired college professors and his father a former dean at La Tech. All their kids were honor students. To call him brash is one thing, but not incompetent.

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    1. Jacobs is as dirty as they come you got money he will get you what you want in minden no matter how wrong or wright

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  15. If you have ever gone to Minden and served on jury duty, with Jacobs being the prosecutor and watched a criminal go scot-free because of this man's incompetence, then you would chnage your tune. In Springhill, it looks Jacobs and Slattery seem to have it worked out where the Masons and their church members and neighbors, folks like them, not from the other side of the track are not even prosecuted, and all the people who are prosecuted seem to be presumed guilty. But in Minden, that is not the case if there is a jury. And even someone who is from the other side of the track, and who is shown to be guilty from the evidence if it had just been presented in a coherent manner can be found not guilty by a jury. It's obvious from this reaction to my comments that Slattery and Jacobs have friends. How many tickets has one of them fixed for you?

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  16. I can say that Charles Jacobs has never fixed a ticket for me. Moreover, I don't understand bashing him as he is not a candidate in this election. I do know him and his brother who are both lawyers and I would hire either one if I needed that type of help. He represented a family member in a divorce and did a great job. He can be brash at times. But anyone who calls him incompetent does not know him, or knows him and unhappy due to the results of being on the other side in some lawsuit.

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  17. FYI, Jacobs does not do jury trials in Minden. He only does that in Bossier Parish. Get your facts right before you get sued!! He is a lawyer, after all.

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  18. I didn't realize Jacobs was a candidate. Now, about the 3 announced candidates - Whit has lost twice before and withdrawn another time when he realized he was beat (that's 3 in my book). Enough said. Slattery is touting himself as backed by "Shreveport lawyers" which is probably true but they can't vote over here and I don't see how their backing helps him anyway. Nerren, on the other hand, is backed by people of Bossier and Webster, many who currently serve as public servants (both Sheriffs, the DA, the Mayor and Marshall of Bossier City) and still others who care about thier community enough to get actively involved in who does serve. They (the servants and those who care) are supporting Nerren - because he is the most qualified candidate. This is not a hard one to decide and the result won't be surprising either - not even to Graves and Slattery.

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  19. Jim, I like your observation that Whit will have more "public exposure soon." If he qualifies, he'll have more than he bargained for. Stay tuned.....

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  20. Narren is the more "qualified" candidate? He is touted on this blog as the more "qualified" candidate because the power hungry district attorney Schuyler Marvin and his political machine of country club buddies want him as their judge. I think I have seen this election before...2008 Obama vs. McCain. Apparently, Obama was the more qualified candidate because he had more endorsements and money. How did that election turn out for you guys?

    Nerren ran against Schuyler Marvin for District Attorney. The campaign was very heated and the district attorney shed light on many personal problems with the candidate Nerren including his questionable driving record. The question a voter needs to ask is why these two men are suddenly on the same side? I pose another question, why do the district attorney and his country club buddies stick their nose in every local election? I think power is a big issue in this election. Power is something King Schuyler Marvin and his crew are seeking to control. What makes Nerren more "qualified" than Whit Graves or Judge Slattery? I am still waiting on a resume that can stand with the other two candidates. Im pretty sure King Schuyler and his buddies are reading this blog and therefore I will not respond to their further comments. However, I leave you with something to think about. Are we gonna let the district attorney control and elect all our district judges and officials?? The District Attorney's office and friends can now respond and continue hyping up their new puppet candidate.

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  21. In answer to your question "are we gonna let the district attorney control and elect our district judges and officials?" The district attorney does not. Voters do. If Mr. Marvin is supporting Mike Nerren it could be that he sees him as the most qualified candidate DESPITE the fact he ran a hard fought campaign against him in the past.

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  22. Whit Graves is by far the most qualified for Judge of the 26th Judicial District. His experience as prosecutor as well as attorney for the defendant give him the muchly need wisdom to perform the duties of this office. I hope you will consider him and not listen to any tar campaign by those without the best interest of our court system.

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  23. In response to the statement regarding the current judge that Marvin hand-picked, Judge Michael Craig is simply a puppet for Marvin. Unfortunately, Craig gloats and boasts of his new-found power as well. I understand that he is ruining lives in his courtroom and rules as advised by Marvin. I also understand that there is a pending or upcoming investigation on Marvin and Craig. It seems that there are no consequences for their actions yet I understand that a senator is involved in pushing the investigation. We shall see....

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    1. I certainly hope all of the innocent victims that have been affected by Mike Craig's rulings and decision that clearly are in opposition of the laws will stand up and take action against him. It has been a year since you wrote your blog. Any update?

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  24. Can anyone say what political party the 3 candiates belong to? Yes in todays climate that may be important.

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  26. Please help me. Judge Craig is on a custody case with my son as we speak, and is ruining my sons life to the point where he has been suicidal. At what point does "corruption" come before the safety and well-being of an innocent child? If there's anybody that can help me save my son please reply.

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2. No accustory statements about wrongdoing or criminal acts against anyone.
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