The Green Party of New Orleans (NOLA Greens) has prepared voting advice for the March 25, 2017, special election.  Our voting advice is based on how closely each candidate's perspective aligned with Green Party values, most notably the party's commitment to social justice.  The NOLA Greens would also like to thank Judge Brown, Judge Chase and Ms. Williams for their reply to our candidate questionnaires.  All of the candidates in these races were sent questionnaires; they were the only ones to respond.

JUDGE, COURT OF APPEAL 4TH CIRCUIT, 1ST DISTRICT, DIVISION C

Judge Chase's response to our questionnaire revealed insightful and innovative jurisprudence.  Her reply is excerpted below:

I am especially dedicated to ensuring that all persons have access to justice. To this end, I helped launch Louisiana’s first “Self-Help Desk” designed to help citizens navigate the legal process at Civil District Court.

The fact that Louisiana is the incarceration capital of the world is not a ranking we should be proud of.

Our high incarceration rate not only costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year, but also impacts communities as a whole. The high incarceration rate impacts children, family relationships, health, labor force participation, and economic growth.

We need to move towards evidence-based sentencing that focuses on results and matches each offender with most effective rehabilitation measures that that individual offender needs, and not simply incarcerating every offender.

The NOLA Greens advise vote Tiffany Gautier Chase for Judge, Court of Appeal 4th Circuit, 1st District, Division C.

JUDGE, CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, DIVISION B

Ms. Williams' response to our questionnaire revealed an awareness of how individuals' economic means may affect the justice they receive, a fact that is all too relevant in New Orleans.  Her reply is excerpted below:

...there are still thousands of people who do not have access to justice because they cannot afford it.  Therefore, they usually do not seek legal help when they need it the most and...lose property, domestic matters or go to jail for lack of funding for criminal defense lawyers.  I believe that all lawyers must “step up to the plate” and give back to ensure justice for everyone.

The NOLA Greens advise vote Marie Williams for Judge, Civil District Court, Division B.

For more information, contact Bart Everson at (812) 391-0818.