Candidates for 14th JDC Family and Juvenile Court discuss issues

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) -There’s a three-man race for Family and Juvenile Court Judge in Calcasieu Parish. It’s the vacancy created when Judge Guy Bradberry was elected to the Third Circuit Court of Appeal.

Family and Juvenile Court handles matters including divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, protective orders, and adoptions.

Those running for the vacancy in Division C are William “Bill” Cutrera, Brad Guillory, and Mark Judson. All three attorneys are husbands and fathers who say their experience qualifies them.

Cutrera: “The thing that is the most common thread of all the good judges is those judges have actually tried the cases they are hearing now. I’ve been doing this for 36 years and I believe that experience this qualifies me and makes me uniquely qualified for this position.”

Guillory: “You need to be a trial attorney trying cases before you can become a judge. I know you can be without doing that, but I think the experience of trying the cases and having a lot of clients helps prepare you for that role. And I think having that experience, if you’re on the other side as a judge, you know what the other lawyers are going through, you know what the litigants are going through and so that can help you in being a judge.”

Judson: “As the executive director of the SWLA Law Center, not only did I practice law but I also had to manage staff, a staff up to twelve people at one point in time. We had to deal with funding sources, we had to act resourcefully. We were not made of money at the law center so we had to do a lot with a little and I’ll bring a managerial point of view.”

If elected, what will be top priority?

Candidates Guillory and Cutrera want better court efficiency and a faster process.

Guillory: “Things with scheduling you can do to make it a lot quicker. The way they conduct their hearings by not giving individual trial dates but by giving trial weeks I think can be sped up tremendously, at least cut in half.”

Cutrera: “The biggest thing is to get cases to trial quicker. Right now, we have, particularly in custody cases it’s not uncommon for it to take more than a year to get the case to trial which I think is totally unacceptable.

While Judson said: “Serve the people, make the court work for families. I’m not going to go in there and make wholesale changes immediately, because I’ve learned from experience you just don’t go in and make wholesale changes.”

A big part of the job is Juvenile Court which is closed to the public and includes juvenile crime.

Judson: “Some people need a kick in the pants, in order to shape up. And some people are trying their best to shape up and there may be reasons beyond their control of why they can’t do it. I want to know why the bad act is being committed and once I know the cause, I’ll know the right remedy.”

Cutrera: “They need to make a distinction between a criminal offender who’s a child that may be looking for a way out or in a troubled situation and just seeking help versus a dangerous criminal who could possibly be a repeat offender.”

Guillory: “Juvenile crime is a big problem in our area and a problem everywhere and I think having compassion for those children but also following the law and holding them accountable is very important. And I think my experience with being a police officer is going to help me a lot with that as well.”

Over the past year, at least two 14th Judicial District Judges found themselves in trouble over ethical issues.

The candidates were asked how they will deal with ethical issues and pressure when deciding against someone they know.

Cutrera: “You just have to stand up to people that would come in and if they try to approach you about a case and just be forceful and tell them, ' I cannot talk to you about this case. It’s a case that’s before me and it’s totally inappropriate.’”

Guillory: “You can’t talk to people when you have an active case, if you’re the judge presiding over a case you can’t discuss facts with people about that so that’s number one. But I think if you just, if you mind the canons, the judicial canons, and you do what you’re supposed to do, I don’t think you’re going to get in those areas.”

Judson: “If good friends wanted some extra attention that was inappropriate for a judge to give, then I would just have to apologize and say, ‘I cannot answer your question. I’m bound by the rules of judicial ethics.’”

The election is October 14. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the two candidates who receive the most votes will compete in a runoff election November 18.

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