Posted by: admin - July 22, 2009

---

On Saturday, December 8, 1990, at the young age of 36, I was elected Caddo District Judge.  The election night victory followed a contentious, hard fought and very expensive campaign.  Although the population of Caddo Parish is about a quarter million and this was a parish wide race, there was a low voter turnout.  However, the results indicated that a good, diverse and representative cross section of the parish voted; and the runoff percentage 56% - 44% was consistent with the percentage lead 43% - 36% which I garnered in the primary.  On that day I worked tirelessly until polls closed; and as votes were tabulated by the Caddo Clerk of Court, my campaign co-manager, A.M. Stroud, III, and his wife joined my wife and me at our house in southeast Shreveport.  Of course, there was no internet and I received election results by telephone and television.  After the votes were tabulated, both KSLA and KTBS invited me to their stations for the 10:00 p.m. newscasts.  As I was too excited and perhaps too nervous to drive, Marty drove us to both stations where I was interviewed by Signora Thomas at KTBS and Carl Pendley at KSLA.  (The 1990 video reflects a guy who looks about age 14 sporting John Lennon glasses!).

    I might add that the primary election had a substantial turnout with my lead being 43%, Charles Grubb, 36%, Doug White, 14% and Ron Smith 7%.  The runoff was on a cold day and the district court seat was the lone item on the ballot.  Days before the runoff some commentators opined that both Charles Grubb and I would well serve the district bench.  Charles Grubb would go on to serve as chief attorney for the Caddo Parish Commission, and I was blessed with a seat on the Caddo District Court bench, where I have had the honor to serve for the past 19 years.

    The last portion of the video is a December 1990/January 1991 news segment pertaining to defendants charged with homicide making bail pending trial which, in addition to a brand new judge only a few days old, features a young Don Ashley, then a chief detective for the homicide division of Shreveport Police Department.

---

Article Posted by: admin