Council Will Discuss Judges’ Lawsuit
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
(Photo by Bobby Ardoin)
The St. Landry Parish Council intends to get answers from parish president Jessie Bellard during a closed discussion session on Wednesday night in connection with a civil lawsuit filed last week by four state district court judges against the parish government.
The lawsuit is demanding $77,687 in funding for each of their offices in addition to an undisclosed amount of revenues the lawsuit alleges are owed in funding distributed by the parish from Evangeline Downs slot machine revenues.
Bellard and council chairman Wayne Ardoin have each said they are anxious to see how the case eventually plays out in court..
“What we are going to do (on Wednesday night) is decide on hiring an attorney, see how the members of the Council react to the lawsuit and basically look at the whole situation,” Ardoin said about the closed session that is set to begin at 5 pm.
In the lawsuit filed into 27th Judicial District Court, the judges contend that state law requires the parish to provide their offices annually with all reasonable and necessary funding.
The lawsuit also states the parish allegedly has not provided any funding for judges Greg Doucet, Laura Garcile, Charles Cravins and Jason Meche since January of this year.
Bellard said in an interview this week that he intends to ask that the lawsuit be brought before a judge, while Ardoin said on Friday that he’wants to see the same thing happen.
“Let’s put all the cards on the table and see where they fall,” Ardoin added.
Bellard said the parish does not plan to continue funding the judges’ offices.
“I’m not giving (the judges) anything. They can take their expenses out of their savings, No parish president has worked with (the judges) like I have worked with them,” Bellard added.
Bellard maintained in an interview that St. Landry, unlike other parishes, the parish government is paying for two court reporters for each judge seated in St. Landry.
In a separate matter, Ardoin said he intends to continue pressing the Council to approve his request for a forensic audit which is normally used by state auditors to determine whether any violations of state law have occurred and whether any prosecutions are necessary.
Council members in discussion among themselves, Ardoin said, are considering eliminating their yearly travel pay and any monthly raises that they have received in order to save the parish money.
“I think we would also like to hear about the revenues that are being produced from the ag arena, Delta Grand and the Country Club in addition to what those places operated by the parish are providing us in revenues,” Ardoin said.
