BIOGRAPHICAL DATA ARE POSTED WHEN RECEIVED
Roland Belsome:
NAME:
Roland L. Belsome, Jr.
CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ADDRESS:
http://www.judgerolandbelsome.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION
ADDRESS:
734 Crystal Street,
New Orleans, LA 70124
PHONE: 504-256-3100
FAX: 504-286-1138
EMAIL: rbeljr@gmail.com
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat
PROFESSION:
Judge, Court of Appeal Fourth Circuit
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION:
State of Louisiana
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION:
Juris Doctor, Tulane University School of Law.
APPLICABLE TRAINING:
Sole practitioner and trial attorney with extensive expreience litigating before judges and juries in federal and state courts throughout Louisiana; State District Judge and Court of Appeal Judge for nearly 12 years.
CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Past member Mayors Committee on Domestic Violence; Chairman, New Orleans Public School Scholarship Foundation;
Founding Member Reconcile New Orleans, Café Reconcile and Kid's Café;
Co-Founder, Christmas Bike Giveaway Program.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE & POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
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Greg Guidry:
NAME: Greg Gerard Guidry
YOUR CAMPAIGN WEB ADDRESS: http://www.judgeguidry.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION:
Address:
P.O. Box 1729,
Metairie, LA 70004
Phone: 504-452-9202
FAX: 504-467-4426
Email: : christycan@bellsouth.net
PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican
PROFESSION: Judge/attorney
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION:
Judge, Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION:
Juris Doctorate, 1985, Louisiana State University, selected for the Law Review on the basis of grades, inducted into the Order of the Coif (an honor society reserved for the top 10% of the graduating class).
APPLICABLE TRAINING:
Bachelor of Arts degree, Louisiana State University, 1982, magna cum laude.
Completed all course work for the masters in Judicial Studies sponsored by the National Judicial College.
CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, former Board member for Louisiana Catholic Charities, Rotarian, President of the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Judge's Association, President of The Judge John C. Boutall American Inn of Court, Fellow with the Louisiana Bar Foundation
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
Lifelong member of the Republican Party, elected to two terms on the Jefferson Parish Republican Executive Committee, former legal counsel for the Jefferson Parish Political Action Committee
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Jimmy Kuhn:
NAME: Judge James E. "Jimmy" Kuhn
CAMPAIGN WEBSITE ADDRESS:
http://www.JimmyKuhn.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION
ADDRESS: Committee to Elect Judge Jimmy Kuhn
P. O. Box 8606
Mandeville, LA 70470-8606
PHONE: 985-630-0677
FAX: 985-626-8837
EMAIL:
campaign@JimmyKuhn.com OR bettyleblanc@bellsouth.net
PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican
PROFESSION:
Judge of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION:
State of Louisiana
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION:
Juris Doctorate, Loyola University Law School
APPLICABLE TRAINING:
- 35 years of legal experience in every aspect of
the law
- 10 years as a Assistant District Attorney
- 19 years as a Judge
CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
- St. Joseph Church- Ponchatoula
- Ancient Order of Hibernians
- Rotary International
- American Judges Association
- American Judicature Society
- Lifetime Member, American Legion
- 21st Judicial District Bar Association
- Covington Bar Association
- Baton Rouge Bar Association
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Florida Parish Inns of Court
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE & POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
Elected District and Appellate Court Judge
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RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS POSED BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS:
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QUESTION NO. 1:
What Courts have you served on in Louisiana and how long have you served on each?
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Roland Belsome:
- State District Court from January 1997 to April 2004
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal from April 2004 to Present
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Greg Guidry:
Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, two years
24th Judicial District Court, six years
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Jimmy Kuhn:
21st Judicial District Court, 1990-1994
1st Circuit Court of Appeals, 1994-present
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QUESTION NO. 2:
. Have you ever been subject to disciplinary action by the Louisiana Bar Association, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel or the Judiciary Commission? If yes, please explain.
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Roland Belsome:
No.
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Greg Guidry:
No.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
No.
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QUESTION NO. 3:
Would you support a merit system for selecting some or all of the judges as opposed to the current election system? Why or why not?
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Roland Belsome:
All members of our Judiciary, at all levels, should be fair, honest and totally objective. Any modification to our system of selection of judges which is reasonably designed to improve the current process of selection so as to further ensure these ends should be explored. I also believe that the selection of judges by election, which is the same method used to select the most powerful public servants in our democracy, should be the fundamental selection structure or framework within which any modifications should be employed.
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Greg Guidry:
I support changes to our judicial selection process which would increase confidence in the Louisiana justice system. Our current election system has caused many Louisiana citizens to believe that our courts are not fair and impartial. The greatest contributor to this perception is the high cost of campaigns and campaign contributions. Through campaign committees, judicial candidates accept contributions from large numbers of contributors. This creates a perception that the candidates are beholden to the contributors. The public funding of judicial elections would remove this appearance of bias without depriving the citizenry of the opportunity to select their own judges. In my view, this would be preferable to eliminating elections by creating a selection system which would continue to involve politics, albeit of a different nature. Citizens should not give up their right to directly select judges through elections unless they are convinced that an alternative process would be beyond political manipulation and lead to better results.
Our courts are the last resort for people to resolve their disputes. Citizens cannot be blamed for losing hope if they believe the justice system is unfair and not completely honest. I believe that this loss of hope has caused many people and businesses to leave Louisiana over many decades. We have lost good people and badly needed jobs. These facts alone warrant significant changes in our current election system.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
I will always support the people's right to elect their Judges. A free and open election process is the best way to ensure the strength of our democracy. Should the state legislature and the people of the state change the process, then the will of the people must be honored.
Perhaps, if I were assured we could have less politics and get better judges. Does it concentrate power in the hands of those doing the selecting and increase the politics of selection? Accountability to the people is paramount and judges should be accountable to the public in some fashion.
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QUESTION NO. 4:
What are you going to do to ensure that campaign contributions by supporters do not influence the outcome of Supreme Court opinions?
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Roland Belsome:
Systems of selection which substitute the will of a few for the will of the people tend to create a system where only the most powerful and influential have a role. In the federal system, Senators and the President who are responsible for judicial selection are lobbied strongly by special interest groups. Indeed these elected officials often campaign on promises of specific issue based judicial selection criteria in order to solicit political support from such groups and their lobbyists. I would support a study to investigate public funding of judicial elections much like that which is currently in place for presidential elections. The playing field should be as level as possible.
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Greg Guidry:
Quite simply, those who contribute to my campaign, or support my candidacy, should not expect any favorable treatment as a result of their support. Conversely, those who have not supported me, and those who have supported my opponents through contributions or otherwise, should have absolutely no fear of retaliation or anything less than fairness in my court. I made statements similar to these when I was first sworn in as a district court judge eight years ago, and they have served as my guiding philosophy through my years on the bench. Judges must set aside their personal beliefs, prejudices, likes or dislikes in deciding cases. Their decisions must be based solely upon the applicable law and the evidence properly presented in the proceeding. Anything less is a complete violation of a judge's moral, ethical, and legal obligations. In every human endeavor, there are supporters and detractors. The integrity of our system of justice requires that judges be strong enough to resist the temptation to award supporters and punish detractors. I have never done so and will never do so as a Louisiana Supreme Court Justice.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
I am running for this office because of my respect for the highest court in our state. I believe that special interest groups have no place in influencing the court. I believe the Supreme Court should lead in this effort by 1). pushing more meaningful qualifications of judges, 2). eliminate political rhetoric through ethics rules, 3). limit individual and PAC contributions to judicial campaigns 4). insist that appellate judges actually work and not grant judicial authority of staff attorneys and 5.) require minimum years of service at different levels to prove their judicial merit would give voters the opportunity to effectively evaluate judicial performance.
Honesty and integrity are integral characteristics which cannot be legislated, but we can be sure that we elect judges who have proven their ability and moral fiber.
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QUESTION NO. 5:
Do you believe judicial elections in Louisiana should be publicly funded? Why or why not?
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Roland Belsome:
People often focus exclusively on the impact which lawyers and their contributions have on judicial elections. Consideration of this issue and methods to reduce this potential impact are certainly appropriate.
However, equally important is the impact which special interest groups, and powerful business interests, such as oil and insurance companies, and their lobbyists, as well as, career politicians and their endorsements have on our judicial selection process. Again, I support a study to determine how best to minimize the impact of all special interests on judicial elections.
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Greg Guidry:
See number 3 above.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
I do not believe tax payer dollars should be used in funding any campaign. I believe this is a misuse of public money.
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QUESTION NO. 6:
The State Legislature has enacted laws limiting some types of cases and some monetary awards. Do you believe this type of legislation improves justice?
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Roland Belsome:
The issues of limitation on cases and monetary awards is a decision of public policy and law to be made by the legislature and the governor,not judges. A judge's job is to apply the law as written and not let
any of his or her personal opinions invade or affect the objective application of the law.
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Greg Guidry:
I support the ethics laws proposed by Governor Jindal and enacted by the legislature. There is no reason why judges should not be bound by ethical requirements as strict as those imposed upon other elected officials. Judges should also use the option of recusal in cases where their fairness and lack of bias could reasonably be questioned.
Justice is improved when judges understand and respect their role in government. Judges should accept the laws enacted by the legislature, unless they are unconstitutional, and resist the temptation to substitute their own opinions. I am against judicial activism and judges legislating from the bench. Judges should accept the law as created by the legislature and apply it to the facts in the cases they consider. Legislation limiting some types of cases or monetary awards is the culmination of policy decisions made by legislators and executives duly elected by the voters, who will judge their representatives by their votes and actions. A judge may have a personal opinion concerning policy issues or legislation, but he, or she, must be able to put aside these personal beliefs and accept the law as enacted as long as it does not violate the constitution. Injustices in our society are often created by judges who either do not understand their role and boundaries, or refuse to accept them.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
YES. Courts should not legislate.
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QUESTION NO. 7:
How could the costs of judicial administration be reduced? Can you give us a specific example of how you have reduced costs in your law practice or courtroom?
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Roland Belsome:
The cost of judicial administration can be reduced by improving technology and communication. I have seen this implemented with positive results in both the civil district court and the court of appeal.
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Greg Guidry:
I am a political and fiscal conservative. Elected officials are entrusted with the use of taxpayer money which was hard-earned by the citizens of this state. This is money that families could use for their children's education, home improvement, savings for future need, contributions to charities, or any number of reasons. I have always tried to conserve the funds available to run my court. Specifically, as a district court judge, I spearheaded an effort to reduce the number of court reporters in Jefferson Parish by moving toward a pool system which will ultimately save millions of dollars.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
The State Legislature sets the budget of all courts in Louisiana. This is accomplished through legislative committee hearings with the input of the Supreme Court. Costs of administration of the court, employee salaries, supplies, utility bills, etc. cannot be reduced. However, one way of improving the costs of court is to require judges in some courts to simply do more than is asked of them by taking on more cases.
Additionally, the geographic area encompassed by the 1st Circuit is enormous. Costs of the 1st Circuit could be reduced by judges of other courts who want to reduce costs coming to Baton Rouge and assist in working on cases. Moreover, I believe judges should seek out opportunities to participate in promoting professionalism and education in the legal community. Such an effort improves the profession and the courts. Fortunately, those chosen from judges to educate are those judges with the most experience and leadership qualities. This requires more work and travel for those few attorneys and fellow judges.
In addition, time is money and that is especially true in a court room when dealing with lawyers on both sides and unnecessary delays and continuances that cost money. Unfortunately, many of them may occur for the convenience of the judge. Many times attorneys come to court ill-prepared for court. If judges could run their court more efficiently and required the attorneys to be prepared, that would save money. For example in 2007 the 1st Circuit Court was most efficient and saved money. The La 1st Circuit has jurisdiction over 16 parishes with 12 judges. In 2007 we decided 787 appeals. By comparison the 4th Circuit in New Orleans decided 397 with 12 judges and the 5th Circuit in Jefferson Parish with 8 judges decided only 231 cases. The 4th and 5th Circuits combined with 20 judges only decided 628 cases, while the 1st Circuit with only 12 judges decided 787 cases!
Also the Supreme Court could monitor other courts and their dockets for better results.
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QUESTION NO. 8:
Does any method of judicial selection really ensure an independent judiciary? Why or why not?
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Roland Belsome:
As stated in my response to the joint questions, the systems of judicial selection which substitute the will of a few for the will of the people tend to create a system where only the most powerful and influential have a role. In the federal system, Senators and the President who are responsible for judicial selection are lobbied strongly by special interest groups. Indeed these elected officials often campaign on promises of specific issue based judicial selection criteria in order to solicit political support from such groups and their lobbyists.
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Greg Guidry:
Every method of judicial selection has the potential of eroding the independence of the judiciary. In an elected system, honest judges must stand firm against the expectations of supporters hoping to receive favorable treatment. Judges must also accept the possibility of retaliation if they render an adverse decision. These coercive effects are greatly exacerbated by the high cost of campaigns. In a non-elected system of selection, the same potential for loss of independence exists. Any selection system necessarily involves selectors. These are people chosen by members of the executive or legislative branches of government. The competition to earn selection as a judge necessarily involves political activity. Unethical candidates could promise favorable rulings in exchange for political support. Either system can result in a loss of independence depending upon the character and integrity of the participants.
The only guarantor that the three branches of government will remain independent is the vigilance of the public. Elected officials must be held accountable for their actions. They should be expected to behave ethically, legally, and morally. They should be required to respect the boundaries relating to their position. Only the public, through the power of the ballot, can root out corrupt elected officials who destroy the independence of our judiciary and create an imbalance in our system of government.
From 1990 to 2000, I served as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office. While there, I handled complicated white-collar fraud and political corruption cases. I was the grand jury coordinator and ethics officer. I served as a trial advocacy instructor for the United States Department of Justice. I received commendations for my work from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the United States Attorney General. I understand the damage that corruption has caused our state for decades. It has sapped people of hope and destroyed our economic climate. Each of us has a duty to end cronyism and corruption. I commit to you that I will work to do so every single day I serve on the bench.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
NO. Election and merit selection may help. But the public should become directly and actively involved + develop and refine the system to insure public confidence, something greatly needed.
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QUESTION NO. 9:
Is it realistically possible for a judicial candidate in this jurisdiction to be elected without the support, including the financial support, of area lawyers and law firms? If yes, please explain. If not, then what method do you propose to limit the influence of lawyers and law firms' political contributions upon judicial decision-making post-election?
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Roland Belsome:
This issue is fully discussed in the joint questions. In sum, the most common focus of judicial elections is that of the impact which lawyers and their contributions have on those elections. However equally important is the impact which special interest groups, and powerful business interests, such as oil and insurance companies, and their lobbyists, as well as career politicians and their endorsements have on our judicial selection process.
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Greg Guidry:
Our current system of electing judges obviously requires campaigns. The cost of conducting a campaign has risen dramatically over the years. It is not uncommon for district and appellate court races to exceed $500,000.00 and the cost of Supreme Court races can reach $1,000,000.00. I believe that this is completely excessive. Campaigns are funded either by donations or private wealth. Donations create the perception of bias, and I am not in favor of a system where only the wealthy can compete for public office. Publicly funded elections might provide an attractive alternative. They would allow any attorney to be a judicial candidate regardless of net worth, while, at the same time, removing the appearance of bias which accompanies campaign contributions.
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Jimmy Kuhn:
It is realistically possible to be elected without contributions from lawyers, law firms and the influence of any special interest groups. However, the best way to combat this is to elect judges who are above the influence. As a judge, my rulings have not and will never be for sale. My approach to judicial philosophy has always been guided by my respect for the court and the American system of justice. That system should never be denigrated at the expense of lawyers or any special interest groups trying to exert undo influence on judges. The Supreme court needs leaders with experience to develop means to insulate the courts from such inappropriate influence.
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League of Women Voters of St. Tammany, Louisiana. All rights reserved.
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