Photograph: Jessie Bellard, St. Landry Parish President.
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Richard Lewis III, a candidate for St. Landry Parish president, was disqualified for the second time by an ad hoc state district judge who ruled on Monday that it is unclear whether Lewis fulfilled a requirement which verifies that candidates have filed their state income tax returns.
The decision by Judge John Trahan affirmed that at this point current parish president Jessie Bellard will have no opposition in the Oct. 14 election.
Lewis, according to Chris Ludeau, who represented Bellard again during the Monday court proceeding, will have at least 24 hours to appeal the verdict that followed the two-hour hearing on Monday.
Defense attorney Antonio Birotte and Lewis left the courtroom quickly following the verdict.
Trahan initially ruled during a hearing on Aug. 18 that Bellard should be considered unopposed after testimony indicated that Lewis allegedly did not file state income tax returns in 2021.
Court testimony provided by St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court employees on Monday showed that Lewis stated in an affidavit at the time of his Aug. 9 qualifying that he had filed his state income tax returns for 2021 and 2022.
Trahan made it evident during his ruling that the question of whether Lewis paid his state taxes at least in 2021, was not sufficiently answered following the testimony on Monday.
“The question is did (Lewis) pay his income taxes. There is no record that he filed with the state. Even to this day, there is nothing to show that (Lewis) ever inquired about it and that he is unable to certify that he filed,” Trahan said.
Lewis, who was absent from the Aug. 18 hearing, testified on Monday that he had filed his tax returns.
Last week a Third Circuit Court decided that the court should have appointed an attorney for Lewis in his absence on Aug. 18 and that Trahan should re-hear the case on Monday.
The appeal by Lewis was based on his assertion that he had never received notice that he was required to appear in court for the Aug. 18 hearing.
During a telephone interview with St. Landry Now. com, Lewis maintained that he was never informed by Clerk of Court that he was required to appear with an attorney at the Aug. 18 hearing.
On Monday investigator Kirk Menard testified that he attempted to notify Lewis of the impending court hearing by telephone four times and again in a text message.
Attorney Chris Ludeau, who represented Bellard, played a video tape which showed Menard apparently approaching the front door of the residence of Lewis in order to notify Lewis of the Aug. 18 hearing.
Menard also testified that no one at Lewis’ residence answered when he knocked at the front door and rang the doorbell at the house where Lewis resides.
Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux also testified on Monday that he failed to reach Lewis by telephone on Aug. 17 in an attempt to apprise Lewis of the court hearing the following day.
Christina Junker, a staff attorney with the Louisiana Department of Revenue testified there is no record that Lewis ever filed his state income tax returns in 2021.
Trahan agreed with Ludeau that Lewis should be required to pay all court costs associated with the court proceedings.
