Gaudet facing new charges
March 20, 2019
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
March 22, 2019
The federal judge overseeing a lawsuit that may result in a change to how Terrebonne Parish elects its judges has announced her decision on the choice of a special master – a legal expert recognized in specific fields – to help her resolve the case’s remaining issues.
David R. Ely, one of two candidates proposed by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which is litigating the case for the Terrebonne Parish Branch of the NAACP and related plaintiffs, was the choice of U.S. District Court Judge Shelly Dick, who is presiding over the case. The decision means that the special master candidates proposed by Attorney General Jeff Landry, one of the defendants in the suit, was rejected. After an eight day trial the court found that Louisiana, by furthering the practice of electing Terrebonne Parish judges at-large, is in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act. The judge who handled the case from its 2014 filing until his death, the late Hon. James Brady, ruled in addition that the practice was intentional and arose from a history of racial discrimination.
Judge Dick must now fashion a remedy.
The plaintiffs have proposed at least one sub-district if not more, with one sub-district comprised of a non-white majority.
They describe Ely in materials they filed to the judge as a professional whose qualification and experience satisfy the considerations the court must consider.
Ely has been the President and Founder of Compass Demographics, a consulting and database management firm specializing in “projects in
volving census and election data, redistricting projects, demographic analysis, and analysis of voting behavior.”
He previously served for more than two decades as the Director of Research for the Redistricting and Reapportionment practice of Pactech Data and Research where he “testified or consulted to counsel in a variety of litigation involving the configuration of election districts as well as providing database construction and redistricting consulting for numerous jurisdictions.”
“Mr. Ely possesses the technical expertise necessary to assist the Court as a Special Master,” plaintiff attorneys wrote in one of their numerous briefs on the topic and the judge appears to agree,
Ely will have until June to present the court with his findings.
“This brings us one step closer to justice,” said Terrebonne NAACP resident Jerome Boykin,
Attorneys on both sides are not commenting at the present time.
Both Landry and Gov. John Bel Edwards are defendants. Landry has been the more vociferous litigant.
The case is being heard at the U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge.
