Theriot wins judge seat

A new judge has been elected to hold Louisiana’s First Circuit Court of Appeals District 1, Div. B seat.

Louisiana voters elected to place lawyer, municipal magistrate and Nicholls State University business law professor Mitch Theriot (R-Raceland) in office in this weekend’s run-off.

The Lafourche Parish resident and former Louisiana House of Representatives member defeated 18th Judicial Court Judge William C. Dupont (D-Plaquemine).

Theriot carried 53.1 percent of the vote in the eight-parish race.

After carrying 33.7 percent of the vote in November’s primary election to Dupont’s 38.5 percent, Theriot said he rode Republican support to try and secure victory.

The victorious candidate told the Tri-Parish Times in late November that he reached out to supporters of primary candidates and Republicans Chris Erny and Mark Plaisance and encouraged them to support his candidacy.

“The three of us divided the Republican vote and are in each other’s back yard,” Theriot said. “Now that we have one remaining, the community is uniting behind the local candidate.”

Voting statistics from Saturday’s election show Theriot’s claim of Tri-parish support to be accurate.

The Raceland lawyer carried 87 percent of the vote in Lafourche Parish, 79 percent of ballots cast in Terrebonne Parish and 60 percent in St. Mary Parish.

Dupont’s strongholds were found in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes, where he carried 88 and 80 percent of the vote, respectively.

With the victory, Theriot is now slated to fill the post held by First Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Edward Gaidry.

His seat became available after Gaidry announced he would retire at the close of 2012.

The First Circuit Court of Appeals is Louisiana’s biggest of five appellate courts. It sees cases in 16 parishes across the state, including all three of the Tri-parishes.

Theriot said he is appreciative of voter support and said he will be a solid judge because of his ability to understand the law.

“What you want is someone with knowledge of the law,” he said. “Practicing the law, teaching the law, interpreting the law and making the law is the experience we bring to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.”