Judge’s letter stirs a ruckus
March 21, 2018
Parish power over rec boards confimed
March 21, 2018
Voters will decide Saturday who shall run the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office, as they choose between Kristine Russell, who has been the interim District Attorney since the retirement of Cam Morvant, or Brad Naquin, currently the prosecutor for City Court in Thibodaux.
Naquin is running on a platform that says drug court must be expanded in order to deal with the opioid abuse problem that affects Lafourche and surrounding communities. Russell is running on a record that includes successful prosecution of serious felons.
She maintains that voters will find attractive her hands-on years, which she maintains makes her a preferred candidate.
Naquin says that after Cam Morvant’s long run it is time for new ideas to be considered, and that voters want change.
They will make their views known after the polls close Saturday night at 8 pm; All voting places in Lafourche will open at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Early voting ended last week, with 4,466 people casting votes in person, of a total 4,493 early voters, or 7.8 percent. More than 56,000 are eligible to vote in this election.
“I have put drug dealers and killers behind bars, and shall continue to do so,” Russell maintains. “I shall continue to work closely with law enforcement to recognize trends in criminal activity, and any crime that has the potential to harm victims will continue to be our top priority.”
Russell believes alternatives to incarceration or diversion from the criminal justice system have merit. She approves of how they were utilized during Morvnt’s administration, and plans to use a full palette of diversions where appropriate, and when doing so would better fit the needs of victims or prevent re-victimization.
Drug court rules, she notes, are set by the state, and therefore cannot be improved upon by one district attorney.
Although Naquin has not served as a state prosecutor, he is firm in his belief that many years as an attorney have equipped him to know how to get the job done.
“For many years I have lived in and out of our courtrooms,” he said. “I have personally witnessed the devastating effects that drugs have had on our families, friends and our children. It’s no secret that the number one issue facing our criminal justice system today is the opioid and methamphetamine epidemic … It is extremely important that we have programs for education, rehabilitation and treatment for those who suffer from the illnesses of addiction.”
