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A letter from a Terrebonne Parish judge to a state senator is causing concern among litigants in a matter before the federal courts.

State District Judge Johnny Walker wrote to State Sen. Norby Chabert concerning the potential that Chabert may compose and file a bill that would split the 32nd Judicial District into one or more sub-districts in order for Louisiana to comply with the late U.S. District Judge James Brady’s ruling in NAACP v. Jindal. The case alleges that Louisiana is violating the U.S. Voting Rights Act because in Terrebonne Parish all eligible voters vote for all the sitting judges parish-wide.

According to Voting Rights Act case-law such an “at-large” practice dilutes minority votes under certain circumstances. Judge Brady also ruled that Terrebonne has a history of racial discrimination, which increases the ways the judge’s decision may be enforced.


Walker’s letter to Chabert states that the passage of such bills “would result in the denial of the right of the state and Terrebonne Parish to appeal the finding of discrimination by Judge Brady.”

Walker’s letter asks that he and the other judges in the parish be kept advised of the progress of the bills and any drafts thereof.

“I strongly feel that Judge Johnny Walker crossed the line in sending a letter to Sen. Norby Chabert opposing the creation of a minority judgeship for Terrebonne Parish,” said Jerome Boykin, president of the Terrebonne Parish NAACP. “Especially after being a witness in a federal case after the courts ordered the state to come up with a remedy. Here is a sitting judge who sent a letter in opposition is in clear violation of Canon 2 of Louisiana Judicial ethics.”


Chabert said the question of whether he will author the legislation setting up a minority district has not been answered as of yet. No bill, he maintains, has been offered.

Judge Juan Pickett, Chief Judge of the 32nd Judicial District, notes that judges often meet with or write to legislators to discuss “legislative issues pertinent to the law, the legal system, and the administration of justice.”

On March 8, 2018 the judges of the 17th and 32nd Judicial District courts hosted an annual legislative dinner which Chabert did not attend. Walker has acknowledged that his letter — addressing potential legislation — was written to Chabert since he was not in attendance.


“Since the dinner, it has come to my attention that a letter was written by one of the judges of the 32nd Judicial District Court addressing potential legislation,” Pickett said Monday. “The letter is not reflective of the opinions of the judges of the 32nd Judicial District Court as a whole.”

“As you are aware, a final judgment in the minority judgeship case has not been rendered and the case is still pending,” Pickett said. “The Judicial Canons prohibit me from making public comments that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or fairness of any case pending before any Louisiana state court. The same principles apply to cases before federal courts in Louisiana as well. As such, I cannot publicly comment any further on the litigation or any proposed legislation.”

“The judges of the 32nd Judicial District Court will accept and honor whatever court rulings or legislation that is handed down concerning this matter,” Pickett said. “We are servants to the entire community and acknowledge that an honorable and independent judiciary is indispensable in our society.”


U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick was allotted several of Brady’s cases following Judge Brady’s passing. Because of that the NAACP case is now in Dick’s hands. She has told attorneys that if they cannot come up with a solution to the violation problem she will, Legislation is a potential solution — the creation of one or more sub-districts — if it passes Dick’s muster.

If Dick chooses a solution herself the case could be appealed to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and potentially could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Creation of one or more districts, therefore, could be seen as a settlement of the case.


As of Monday, no legislation has appeared.

Judge Juan Pickett