Gordon Hutchinson Seeks Reelection

 Gordon Hutchinson, Constable for Ward 3, District 1, is a candidate for reelection in the Nov. 3 election. The district encompasses the entire City of Central and points south to Florida Blvd. Gordon Hutchinson is the senior concealed handgun permit instructor in the state, having trained more than 6,000 people in concealed handgun use and the laws associated with it. That’s more students

than any instructor in the state.

He is a 60+ year member of the Central community.

His experience includes:

•Proud Central High graduate

•Bachelor’s degree from LSU •35 years in law enforcement

•He has served as Constable since 2015

•Sheriff’s Deputy  1980-2005 (active reserve) in Uniform Patrol/Plainclothes/Warrants

•One of the five original Central Police Officers, 2008-2015 

•15 years firearms instructor, Sheriff’s Office

•Six years firearms instructor, Central Police

•US Army veteran,1969-1972

•US Army Officer Candidate School (OCS)

•Lt., 82nd Airborne Division

•Excellent personnel management skills

  Hutchinson feels he has streamlined the office of Constable, Ward 3, District 1, making it more accessible to citizens who utilize the Justice of the Peace court, giving them better use of the office and a more fluid use of the resources of the office at their disposal. 

  As Constable for Ward 3, District 1, Gordon Hutchinson is also very proud of his work protecting the animal population of his district. Frequently calling on the services of the East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control Center, he has rescued many abused and neglected animals. During the aftermath of the 2016 flood, he rescued animal flood victims that had been left behind by their owners or driven out of their homes by rapidly rising waters.

The watchwords of his term have been Honesty, Integrity, Fairness, and Mercy for all citizens.

Gordon humbly requests your vote for reelection as Constable on Nov. 3, 2020.

What Is the Constable?

By Gordon Hutchinson

Most folks are not familiar with the duties of the Constable, although everyone is familiar with the title. The Constable is a fully-empowered law enforcement officer, with powers of arrest and all other authority accorded law enforcement officers.

To understand the duties of the Constable, one must first understand the Justice of the Peace court. While everyone has known someone married by a Justice of the Peace, few realize what an important job these courts fill in the Louisiana justice system.

The local Justice of the Peace court allows citizens ease of access to the judicial system. Serving most frequently as a civil court, the justices of the peace allow small claims to be filed up to $5,000.

Thus the Justice of the Peace court handles lawsuits when someone seeks redress for a debt. These cases can be for debts, damages, aggravating circumstances, or most frequently, evictions.

The Constable serves as the Bailiff for the Justice of the Peace court, keeping the peace in the courtroom for the judge.

The Constable also serves civil papers for the JP court such as notifications of upcoming hearings, small claims suits, and notifications of eviction.

When necessary, the Constable is the officer of the court who effects evictions, moving people out of rented property who refuse to leave when ordered by the courts.