L.T. Dupré, Judge Twin Guillard Endorsed for Family Court Seats

For years, the readers of the Central City News have learned about problems in the East Baton Rouge Parish Family Court.

Now there’s a chance to do something about those problems!

There are two outstanding candidates running for two separate seats on the Family Court:

•Judge Caulette “Twin” Guillard is the new Family Court judge from Division A, which covers the Mid-City area of Baton Rouge down to the western end of the City of St. George.

Judge Guillard was elected in a special election May 15 to fill the remainder of the term of Family Court Judge Pam Baker who retired under fire.  Judge Guillard is now running for the full term Nov. 3.

•Zachary City Prosecutor L.T. Dupré, who is running for the Family Court seat from Division C, which includes Zachary, Central and most of the City of St. George.

There are many problems in Family Court but probably the most important is the fact that there has been a special relationship between some of the Family Court judges and a handful of attorneys who practice family law.

Basically, if you are a member of the “in crowd” in the Family Court bar, you may fare much better than others.

The issues involving Family Court are not about Republicans or Democrats or blacks or whites, but rather about fundamental fairness before the law.

The case of Katherine Diamond of Baton Rouge is a good example. Mrs. Diamond is the mother of twins, a boy and a girl, both now 15.  Years ago she was falsely accused of child abuse of the daughter.

We say “falsely accused” because a video of the alleged abuse has been shown countless times and there is clearly no abuse. At a scheduled exchange of the children, she is simply trying to get her daughter in the car.

The father took the video and made the allegation of abuse.  However, neither he nor anyone called law enforcement, the District Attorney, Child Enforcement, or anyone else, and no one from the government ever interviewed the children or the mother. It was simply his statement and nothing else.

As a result of this ludicrous allegation, Mrs. Diamond has not been allowed to see her children in years.

Moreover, she was sent to Parish Prison by the judge on numerous occasions and made to pick up trash on the levee many times — not for child abuse but for failure to pay her husband’s attorney fees of $70,000!

The intent of some of the attorneys practicing in Family Court with the assistance of some judges seems to be to impoverish and criminalise parents who have done nothing wrong.

It’s time for a change. Judge Guillard, a Democrat, and attorney L.T. Dupré, a Republican, are a good start.  They are of high character and not part of the problem in Family Court. 

The Central City News is proud to endorse Judge Twin Guillard and attorney L. T. Dupré on Nov. 3.