Quick Questions for the People in Charge | Joe Waitz Jr.

District Attorney, Terrebonne Parish

Q: You were first elected in 1996. How much has your field changed from the time you started to now?

When I was first elected, the office of District Attorney was basically a prosecutorial office. I felt like the District Attorney’s office was a very powerful office and that I wanted to redirect it to provide services to citizens to help them. I started many programs such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, Drug Court, and the Probation Department to help people and families that ended up in the criminal justice system that were good people but had issues that needed to be addressed. I felt that the prior “lock ‘em all up” approach was not the proper approach. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of violent, bad people that need to be in jail but those good people who have made mistakes need second chances. I believe in second chances. I believe many D.A. offices across the state have followed our lead here in Terrebonne.

Q: Did you see yourself in this position as a young child?

I did not. I always wanted to be involved and loved Terrebonne Parish. I was born and raised here in Terrebonne and love the people here. I knew I would be involved but never the D.A. I’m thankful the people have allowed me to serve. It has been an absolute honor to be the Terrebonne D.A. I love my job.

Q: What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is I get to help people everyday. Helping people is my passion, no doubt. So many people have come to me with a sense of loss of hope and have asked me for help. Helping fix a person’s problems, getting them back on their feet gives me a natural high. So many people have come to me with drug or alcohol issues… getting them help, making them productive individuals again, is so fulfilling. It’s awesome. That’s why I have redirected the power of the D.A.’s office to help people; that’s what it is really all about. Helping people.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment as an attorney? 

As a young attorney, getting out of law school, you often look for mentors for guidance. When I first got out of law school I came to work at the family law firm, Waitz & Downer. I was fortunate to have two awesome mentors, my father Joseph L. Waitz and his partner Hunt Downer. Learning from these awesome men has helped me evolve to what I am today. I miss my father dearly however I still have the privilege of working with Hunt. Thus my greatest accomplishment as an attorney is learning from these guys.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment as District Attorney? 

My greatest accomplishment as D.A. has been to ensure that the doors of the District Attorney’s office are open to the people. It has also been by using the power of the D.A.’s office to initiate programs that help people. If you look across the state you will not find another D.A.’s office hands down with the number of programs designed to help people, from the Children’s Advocacy Center to Probation programs, DWI and Drug Court, Anger Management, Boating Safety, and Driving Safety, just to name a few. There are probably 40+ programs I have started. No other D.A.’s office in the state has what we have in Terrebonne and the best part is there are more evolving ideas on the way.

Q: Of all the programs the DA’s office offers, which are you most proud of?

One of my favorite programs is the Early Intervention Program run by Bernadette Picket. It’s a program where I have hired retired principals who know the school system and know the children. They go into the school system and address issues that families are having such as health care, social, mental health, economic, truancy — all these issues that families don’t know how to handle, we go in and help. These are issues that kids and family’s experience, where the children usually end up in the criminal justice system at a later date. If we get these issues resolved at an early stage, they don’t enter the system. We do this at every school in our parish and have been for about ten years. It’s a proactive program to address issues on the front end to get the children the help and assistance they need. We want to fix the problems early on.

Q: What qualities make a good leader? 

Good leaders absolutely need all the good qualities we always hear and talk about, like being a good, smart, honest, trustworthy person but in my opinion the two qualities that make a good person a good leader is that they have a vision and they are a good listener. So often a leader forgets they represent the people and doesn’t always listen to what the people want. I feel that I always have tried to listen to people, always hear their side to help me make a decision. Thus by taking into account their perspective along with my vision, I can make a good decision and be a good leader.

Q: What are your plans for the future of the D.A.’s office? 

I want to continue to see the District Attorney’s office grow to address the needs of our citizens. The most prominent issue I am actively seeking to address right now is the opioid crisis. This has overtaken our community at all levels. Currently we have a greater then one overdose per week and it’s increasing. We must stop this. I would also like to see the District Attorney’s office continue to grow to address the needs of our people as they arise. I look forward to serving for years to come. •