Three Announce Intentions to Run for District Judge

Legal Leaders | Hunt Downer, Waitz & Downer
March 19, 2020
Matt Rookard | CEO, Terrebonne Economic Development Authority
March 19, 2020
Legal Leaders | Hunt Downer, Waitz & Downer
March 19, 2020
Matt Rookard | CEO, Terrebonne Economic Development Authority
March 19, 2020

We can’t have a legal leaders issue without discussing an important portion of leaders: judges.

All five judge seats in Terrebonne will be on the November 3 ballot. As of press deadline, all seats will be elected parishwide. A court case is ongoing, currently in federal appeals court, which seeks to create a minority judge district in Terrebonne.

Qualifying for a district judge seat runs from July 15-17.


As of press deadline, three candidates have announced their intentions to run for district judge: Chris Erny, Tim Ellender, and Teresa King.

Chris Erny has been practicing law for over 25 years, serving as an assistant district attorney since 2003.

A 1990 graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s in political science, Erny received his Juris Doctorate from LSU Law School in 1994. After law school, Erny returned to Houma where he worked for the law firm of Weeks and Stark for nine years before joining the district attorney’s office.


As a prosecutor, Erny has handled thousands of criminal cases, and conducted numerous jury trials involving serious felonies such as First and Second- Degree Murder, Manslaughter, Aggravated Rape, Armed Robbery, and many other crimes of violence and sex crimes. On the civil side of the law, he has litigated cases in over 25 Louisiana parishes, in three of the Louisiana appellate courts, the Louisiana Supreme Court and in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana, the Southern District of Mississippi and the Southern District of Texas, as well as the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

As a conservative Republican, Erny feels he can call upon those values from the bench.

“I have been tough on crime and have worked to ensure habitual and violent criminals are removed from society and serve proper and justified jail sentences,” reads Erny’s press release. “Understanding that not every person who commits a crime deserves jail time, I have also shown fairness and compassion and have helped many people who have made mistakes in life by providing the opportunities for second chances and rehabilitation.”


Erny is also a commissioner and an officer of the Terrebonne Port Commission. He has also volunteered as a coach for TPR basketball and baseball and HTSA soccer. Erny is married to Gabrielle Gros Enry. Together they have three sons.

Timothy C. Ellender Jr. opened his private practice, the Ellender Law Firm, in 2004. He continues to provide counsel in both civil and criminal law, while focusing on family law, personal injury and divorce. Born and raised in Houma, Ellender earned his Juris Doctorate in 1998 from Louisiana State University. Ellender is licensed to practice law in all Louisiana State courts and the Federal courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western districts of Louisiana, as well as the State of Colorado, the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

“I’ve thought long and hard about practicing law over the years and it has led me to a higher calling to seek to serve my community in a more productive way as a judge,” reads Ellender’s release. “I know I’ll be an effective judge with my love of the law coupled with my passion for justice and my ability to listen to all sides of the story before making decisions that affect people’s lives.”


Ellender is a lifelong conservative Republican, who believes in personal responsibility and frugality regarding our tax dollars. He believes his passion and zeal for justice combined with a wide array of diverse courtroom experiences places him in a unique position to honor and respect the rule of law.

“I firmly believe I’ll be able to positively impact my community by taking this step from attorney to judge,” said Ellender. “People have a lot of anxiety and fear associated with a courtroom. I want to make individuals feel they’ve been heard, that their story has been told and someone has listened. I understand and have witnessed first hand the gravity of what hangs in the balance of a decision. It’s not to be taken lightly and deserves a judge’s full attention.”

Teresa King has been working in public service her entire career and still makes time to volunteer for local and statewide organizations.


Raised by a woman in law enforcement and a combat military veteran, King’s traditional values were instilled at an early age. Having watched her brother serve multiple tours overseas, she knows the sacrifices made by military families.

King attended Nicholls State University in 2003. After graduation, King attended Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and worked with criminal defendants in Orleans Parish Prison through the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice. She remains focused on criminal justice reform and access to justice for all. To provide an emphasis on Criminal Justice Reform, King launched ReformOurSystem.com to allow the community to have a voice on such changes.

In 2014, King became involved with the Louisiana Bar Foundation by becoming a fellow and a member of the Bayou Region Community Partnership Panel. Through her work on the Bayou Region Community Partnership Panel, she is able to assist local non-profits such as CASA and Chez Hope in getting grants from the Louisiana Bar Foundation. She is now serving as the chairperson for the Bayou Region Community Partnership Panel for the second year in a row.


On the local level, King served as the President of the Terrebonne Bar Association for 2018-2019. As a member of the local bar association board for the past several years, King has taken on the role of planning and coordinating continuing education courses and special events.

Throughout her career, King has offered free consultations to incarcerated clients and pro bono services to indigent clients. She has successfully defended thousands of clients in criminal court. She handles uncontested custody matters and represents parents involved in Child in Need of Care cases.