Guidry Secures Louisiana Supreme Court Seat After Opponents Disqualified
The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that Leslie Chambers and Judge Marcus Hunter did not meet qualifications due to insufficient documentation of their income tax returns for the past five years.
Baton Rouge, LA — Chief Judge John Michael Guidry of the First Circuit Court of Appeal is set to assume a seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court after a ruling on Tuesday disqualified his opponents. The decision leaves Guidry as the sole candidate for the District 2 seat in the upcoming Nov. 5 election.
The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that Leslie Chambers, Chief of Staff for the Louisiana Housing Corporation, and Judge Marcus Hunter of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal, failed to meet the necessary qualifications. Both candidates did not provide sufficient documentation to prove they had filed their income tax returns for the past five years.
As a result of the court's decision, Chambers and Hunter have been removed from the ballot. Chambers, who had previously announced her intention to appeal, responded to the ruling, stating, "While I, of course, respect the state high court’s final judgment, I’ll be conferring with counsel this evening to assess the full impact of these decisions, including whether there is judicial relief beyond this venue." Hunter has not yet commented on the decision.
The case originated from a lawsuit filed by Baton Rouge voter Elisa Knowles Collins, who challenged the qualifications of Chambers and Hunter. Although Collins' daughter works as an attorney for Guidry, Collins has not disclosed the financial backers of her legal team. Lead attorney David Bievenu has also declined to provide this information.
Initially, District Judge Donald Johnson ruled that all three candidates could remain on the ballot. Collins appealed this decision to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal in New Orleans, rather than the First Circuit, due to Guidry’s involvement. The Fourth Circuit ruled 9-3 to remove Chambers from the race, citing insufficient proof of tax return filings, despite Chambers' attorney's assertion that she was owed a refund.
Chambers' appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court and Collins' appeal concerning Hunter resulted in a 5-2 decision reversing earlier rulings. Justices found that Hunter failed to provide adequate evidence of tax return filings before the candidate qualifying period. The court upheld the Fourth Circuit’s decision to remove Chambers.
Associate Justice William Crain noted that a “properly executed tax return” with evidence of delivery was not demonstrated by Hunter. Justice Jefferson Hughes, dissenting, criticized the Supreme Court for replacing the trial court’s judgment with its own, emphasizing that the distinction between intentional non-filing and a good faith belief in having filed should be considered.
Guidry’s forthcoming position will fill a newly established majority-Black district on the state’s highest court, potentially enabling minorities to hold two of the court’s seven seats.
