March 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Jim Chapman sits down with Jenny Fore, a candidate for Juvenile Court Judge in the 21st Judicial District. We discuss the critical role of juvenile justice in shaping our community, highlighting Jenny's journey from Louisiana State University to working closely with legendary Judge Blair Edwards. Her unique qualifications as it relates to this Juvenile Judgeship really set her apart and her choice to stay above the fray of the typical political “mud slinging” and run her race off of her qualifications make Jenny both a rare and refreshing choice in this election.
Be an informed voter and check out this edition of Local Leaders the Podcast.
Early voting starts March 15-22, 2025
Election Day is March 29th, 2015
You can learn more about Jenny Fore here: https://www.jenny4juvenilejudge.com/
Timestamps
0:31 The most important election of 2025 is upon us
7:38 Jenny’s journey into Law
11:52 Jenny’s decision to Focus on Juvenile Court
18:29 Jenny Fore’s unique Experience and Leadership
23:01 Running on her own Merit
25:42 Call to Action for Voters
#Judge #louisiana #court #Juvenile #21stJudicial
Be an informed voter and check out this edition of Local Leaders the Podcast.
Early voting starts March 15-22, 2025
Election Day is March 29th, 2015
You can learn more about Jenny Fore here: https://www.jenny4juvenilejudge.com/
Timestamps
0:31 The most important election of 2025 is upon us
7:38 Jenny’s journey into Law
11:52 Jenny’s decision to Focus on Juvenile Court
18:29 Jenny Fore’s unique Experience and Leadership
23:01 Running on her own Merit
25:42 Call to Action for Voters
#Judge #louisiana #court #Juvenile #21stJudicial
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Hey everyone, and welcome back to Local Leaders the podcast.
And look, they have a major election coming up for
the twenty first Judicial Juvenile Court judge. I have a
candidate for that position sitting across from me, and I'm
gonna let her introduce herself.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thanks Jim.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yes, my name's Jenny Richardson for and like you said,
I'm running for Juvenile Court judging the twenty first JDC
and that's going to cover the parishes of Livingston, Tangiba
Ho and Saint Helena.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Probably the most important election of the year that people
don't think is that major of a deal. Most people,
it just doesn't look it's not the president, is what
they're thinking in their mind. Probably the most important election,
in my opinion, out there right now because it's juveniles exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
These are our children and we need to make sure
that our community's safe and that these children are getting
the resources they need to succeed in life.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Speaking of life, we're going to talk about your life
a little bit today. As I was researching this, all
I saw was a worker, a hard worker, and someone
who was a leader. And we're going to start off
maybe during your college where did you go to college?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I went to Louisiana State University.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You were a cheerleader.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I was cheered for LSU for three years. I cheered
my first two years, and I got hurt and actually
didn't make it my third year and overcame that worked
really hard and went back and cheered again my fourth year.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
People don't realize the work. Look when you're in college
and you do anything extra outside of studying, it's impresso.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yes, so, I mean we practiced five days a week,
We had workouts, all the stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
So it's just.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Like being on the football team, and we go year round.
We cheer for football. We cheer for basketball, both women's
and men's. I've cheered for swim meets, like who cheers
for swim meets? Soccer matches, all the stuff. Oh, gymnastics,
we cheered at the gymnastics, volleyball, all the.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Stuff and events.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yes, disappearances, yes, yeah, they have us as the face
along with Mike the Tiger, and we have to make
a lot of the events.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
And what did you graduate in.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I graduated in accounting.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yes, I was a political science major and a business minor.
And my uncle, who is an attorney, said, Jenny, if
you don't go to law school. Where are you going
to do with your political science degree? He said, he
needs a switch. And I was doing great at my
accounting classes, so I said, okay, I'm going to go
and graduate in accounting.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And I also did lshu's internal auditing program.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh so very good. But yes, now we're like numbers.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
That wasn't my calling. I loved going to law school.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Well, in a good degree to have in your back pocket.
It is accounting, especially with what you do.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I mean I had enough hours to sit for the
CPA exam and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah. So you go to law school. Did you fall
in love with the law?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I did? Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Where did you go to law school?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I went to Southern University Law Center and I graduated
magna cum latti from there.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Okay, look at you, Jenny four. As a matter of fact,
near the top of your class.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Top four four. Yeah, wow four.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Very impressive And what impressed me when I looked into
that aspect of your life. The Chancellor's Award for Leadership
just one of the many awards that you were honored with.
Outstanding Leadership Award. Yes, you served on the school's Law
Review and you were vice president of the Student Bar associates.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I was yep, so vice president four.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I'd just be studying it.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
I mean no, I was active even though I was
in law school. I did what I can or could
to be active.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And I would imagine your experience as a cheerleader kind
of gave you a leg up on leadership in general
and how to work with teams.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yes, and talk to people and communicate with people and
just be out there. Yeah, help people, because even with cheering,
we gave back to the community.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
We were always out in the community doing something right.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
So eventually you graduate from Southern University Law Center, it's
off and into life. At some point you marry the
love of your.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Life who I met in law school.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Who you met in law school, who is another lawyer? Yes,
mister cault Ford. Yes, and you'll have two.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Children yep, Cecil and Cassius love the net. C six
and Casses four.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And they are just as active as I am.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Yeah. Yeah, you are busy.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, we have a village keeping us together right now.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Wow, that's a beautiful thing. When you're a lawyer and
you get out in the law world, you I want
to choose what you want to specialize in. What you
want to do. Some people go the personal injury 'ro oute,
some people go the public defender. We're oute, what did
you choose?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
So in law school I clerked for some bit pretty
big firms mclinch, Stafford, George Carrigan and Styles. It just
wasn't my thing. Yeah, So I was looking for a
job and I was blessed. I'm telling you, by the
grace of God. I was put in Judge Edwards's court
as her law clerk, and I clerked for her. I
started clerking for her for a year and a half,
and that's juvenile court. Yeah, and you don't learn juvenile
(05:32):
law in law school. The only thing that you would
is sometimes we do clinics, right, and there's like a
crim law clinic, a juvenile clinic, family law clinic. But
I didn't do juvenile law clinic in law school. I
had no idea what I was getting into, and so
I stepped into her court and fell in love with
helping the community and children.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You had a passion for, Yeah, I mean it's clear throughout.
Just looking over your resume, if you will, you can
see that that is exactly where you need to be,
because that's where you are I guess most passionate.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So I waited for a job to open up at
the Public Defender's Office and then I moved over and
have been representing kids and Judge Edwards's court for the
last ten years.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
So what is it about juveniles our future?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
They need to succeed. We need to give them the
resources to succeed. There's kids in our community and families
in our community that need help, and if we aren't
helping them, who is Yeah, and we need to come
together more as a community and help them.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
So what spurred this vacant seat to begin with?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
So Judge Edwards ringing for the first Circuit Court of
Appeal and went in unopposed. So she qualified in July
and she would have been on the November ballot with
the president jual election. But because she went and unopposed,
the seat opened up.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
So it's vacant.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
We would be finishing out her term and whoever wins
would actually have to run again in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Isn't there you have to eight years or something there.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
You have to have you have to be barred for
eight years?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Okay, so you used to remind her.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
That, Oh my gosh, yes, So I decided some when
sometime when I was clerking for her, that I was
going to run for the spot either when she retired
or it came open. And so for years and years
and years, I would say, judge, you can't go to
the first circuit yet, you can't retire yet. I have
two more years, I have three more years or whatever
it was. And so finally I had enough years.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Since she could go, yeah, now you can go on,
you can go.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I'm ready and I'm ready, and I mean it puts
it takes a lot. She had to bring some of
that home for years and years and years, and it
takes a toll on a person being in this court too.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Looking over everything, it looks like you just were preparing
for this the whole time. You were very experienced in
both truancy court yes and drug court yep.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So I am assigned to represent children in these courts.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So I've been.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I when I was clerking for her, I was involved
in drug court.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
And then when I started.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
At the Public Defender's Office, I am the public defender
for kids in juvenile drug court and the truancy cases.
Our truancy numbers are incredible, like it's crazy. We have
kids that are missing over forty and fifty days of
school and they're in first and second grade. So what
happens when that happens, Like, we are looking at these
(08:22):
families and we need to get in. We need to
be proactive and see what's going on with these families
and why they're missing school, because first graders just aren't
missing school. So and then by the time they're in
fourth grade, if they aren't reading, they're more likely to
drop out of school. And if they drop out of school,
what happens? They wind up in the system. And then
another crazy number that I look at all the time
(08:45):
is we're spending ten thousand dollars a year to educate
our children, but one hundred thousand dollars a year to
incarcerate our children. So what happens If we take some
of that money and put it in services on the
front end, that's right, then we wouldn't be dealing with
these kids on the back end.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Education really is the key. I think you nailed it.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
You have to educate these kids.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
So education creates hope.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
When you feel like you can, you know you can
go out there and you can conquer the world because
you have education behind you. Yes, that's a great feeling.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yes, And you have to be able to read much
and we have parents children. There's a lot of people
involved in our juvenile court system that just can't read.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I believe you're the only candidate that is active in
both truancy and drug courts, right, Yes, Yeah, that's a
big deal.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
They'll cover sometimes. The other candidates will cover sometimes for us,
but none of them are active on a weekly basis
in drug court or truancy court.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, that's a that's a huge deal. What is drug court?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
So it is an intervention program. We will meet that
I meet with the kids that are in Phase one
once a week, but our drug court team could be
meeting with these kids upwards of three times a week
and they're going to get randomly drug screened.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
If they're in our.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Drug court program, the school system has to allow them
back into school and it can be an alternative school.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Pine Ridge.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Pine Ridge is a great alternative school in Livingston Parish.
I have lots of kids that succeed there because it's
so structured and our kids, that's something they're missing is structured,
a family unit, parenting, all of that.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
So when they have that.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Little bit of structure, they succeed, So we get them
back in school.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
We're making sure they're off of drugs.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
We actually had our juvenile drug Court graduation last week
on Tuesday. I had three kids graduate from drug court.
One of them hadn't been in school for years. So
part of it as you have to have an education.
If you're in drug court, you're getting an education. So
this little boy, he was seventeen. I think he got
(10:50):
his high set in a week.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
That's how smart he was.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So now he is in north Shore Tech, has able
to get his driver's license, has a vehicle and setting
him up for success.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
That's what we're doing.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, we had a little girl that she would always
have her hair in front of her face and she
just didn't have any self worth and she didn't want
to go to school. I don't think her mom and
them they thought her anxiety was too bad and she
couldn't go to school.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So she is now in school and she loves school.
She's thriving in school.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And then Rebirth is our program through the Office of
Juvenile Justice.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
It's our schooling program. It's an online program.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Sure one of the last graduate, she's one of the
first graduates of the Rebirth o JJ program. She's going
to be starting at a community college soon too.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
It really is a huge thing. So I hope the
listeners today get out of this the importance of this
election and to get out there and vote. To me,
what's most important is experience.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yes, it matters, it does, especially in this kind of seat.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yes. Blair Edwards had over two thousand cases.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yep last year and we have the most cases in
the state. Wow, most cases.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yeah, in the biggest growing parish, Yes, in the state
of Louisiana.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
And with Tangibahoe too, because this is this is tri
Parish and Tangibyhoe is also one of the fastest growing
communities in the state.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Yes. And I'm glad you brought that up. Saint Helena
Livingston in Tangi voting for this particular judge ship you
represented two hundred and seventy juveniles yourself personally.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So it's cases.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, maybe not, some of the cases could have been
the same ju Well that's yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yes, So two.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Hundred and seventy and that's been about my case load
for the last couple of years.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
And it has been growing and the crimes have been
getting worse over the ten years I have been representing
these children.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You don't sleep much.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Jennifer, But between helping these kids in.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
My own.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You are busy. And let's talk about crimes involving guns
with juveniles certainly on the rise.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So I'm not sure where these kids are getting all
these guns. I know sometimes they're breaking into cars, cars
that are unlocked.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
I'm all four second Amendment. We just got to be super.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Respon your car.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Please like your car, Like your car. That's easy.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
So yeah, I mean they're getting these guns, they're making
them automatic guns. And then a juvenile that has a
possession of a handgun, that's just a misdemeanor.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah really yeah, six months suspending and first offense.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
You know how the law states, we're supposed to do
the least restrictive means, So that's just usually a probation offense.
So but I will say, if you are on probation
and a juvenile and found with a gun and convicted,
you were being revoked.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
You're going straight to a facility.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Either group home, whatever OJJ has the recommendation, or if
it's a group home or Florida Parish is long term,
or they're OJJ secure facilities.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
You were going, Yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Does any particular individuals stick out or individual cases where
it was a kid that people just pretty much gave
up on and you came across them and it was,
you know, someone that now looking back on it, it
was like, wow, that that really really changed that sensations.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
You have a lot of those cases, even their families, families,
extended family, they do just give up on them, and
it's almost like the family doesn't know how to deal
with them. They don't know how to deal with their
trauma or even parenting because maybe the parents weren't parented
and the parents have underlying trauma that they're trying to
deal with, so they just push it off on the kids.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So and that's not fair to those kids.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
When you see these juveniles go through the system, how
long do they typically stay in the system, Do they
become adults and it just continues if you don't get.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
The services for them.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yes, and usually if they wind up in an OJJ facility,
they're going to be more likely to crimes. So we
need to get them out in community based services.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
And that's what just the numbers show.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
So if we get them out and start working with
them on the front end, they're going to be more
likely not have to go.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
To a long term program. But have you heard about
our Florida Parish's long term program?
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Tell me about it.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So it's a great program.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
I have a great work in relationship with Joey Dominic
in Florida Parish's Juvenile Detention Center, and I have kids
that are going in in there, and they are setting
them up to for success one hundred percent. So they
are going in there and usually Judge Edwards won't parole
them out until they have their high school diploma. So
there are when they're finished, so we'll have their high
(15:43):
school diploma, they will be OCEHOUS certified. They come out
with PPEs. Joey has north Shore Technical School in there.
He even has a Driver's ed program in there. But
one of the things I will say, sometimes these kids
are getting out at seventeen or even sixteen years old,
and we're putting them back in their same environments. It's
(16:03):
hard to get a job until you're eighteen, especially in
the plants are offshore.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Sure, so we need.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
To get a mentoring program together to for somebody more
than OJJ to oversee these kids and help them and
make sure they get the job when they turn eighteen,
and make sure they stay out of trouble until they're eighteen.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
So yeah, can make money and be productive.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
It's hope, it's it's uh, hey, I've got a skill.
I can apply a skill. I've stood on welding. Yeah,
you know, it's crazy for all those gamers out there.
If you realize how much drone operators get paid.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Now mean sin Clayton Foundation and Hammond is doing scholarships
for kids to learn how to fly drones.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
It's insane and it's only going to get more and
more in demand. And those trades. I've been on a
soapbox half my life screaming about trades. Trades lead to businessiness, ownership, business.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And that's where we're at right now. Maybe you don't
need a college education.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Maybe you need to go into a.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Trade, and maybe that's better for you, a skill set.
My brother, he was dyslexic, was in special ed his
whole life.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
He is a diesel mechanic.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Yes, making a whole lot of money doing that and
one of the only diesel mechanics in the New Orleans area.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
So I great, I got a friend. The cuts grass
that makes over a million dollars a year.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
That's in cut grass.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yeah, that's it. What he loves to do. That what
he loves today. He loves to be outside, get a
tam and he can make a ton of money doing it.
Judge Blair AdWords. Another thing that stood out to me.
You worked very plug Look, she is legendary. Yeah, legendary.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
She has made the juvenile court system what it is.
I am the only candidate that worked under her as
her law clerk.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
That's you.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
So I did that for a year and a half,
so I got to see the inside of being somebody
working under her, how she thinks as a judge, where
she's leaning towards so, and even being in her court.
I've seen all of that. But just working under her
for that year.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
And a half, would you call that experience invaluable? Oh yes,
oh yes, I would agree.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I look up to her as a mentor a role model.
All the stuff she's done great.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Yeah, and she's moved on up to the Court of
Appeal where she's at now.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
But we do miss her a lot.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Should you get elected. It's really just transferring her philosophy
in a lot of ways, and then adding what you
can to.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
I mean, the world is ever evolving, our court will
have to to so when there needs to be changes,
I plan to make changes and what works will keep.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I got some quotes that I dug up on you.
You said, as your juvenile judge, I will bring knowledge
and passion to the courtroom. I will continue to use
my experience and understanding of juveniles in the twenty first
judicial to work to lower crime while upholding the law.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Passion stood out to me in that statement.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
If I didn't think I was the right candidate for
this job, or the right person for this job, or
the most experienced for this job, I would not have
them ran for it.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
How important would you say it is to be passionate
about it?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
You have to, Yeah, you have to.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
I mean, these are families that need our help on
all levels, not just the delinquency help.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
We have foster.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Families that need our help. We have bio mom and
dads that need to work their case plans to try
to keep the family unit together. And then for the
ones that won't work their case plans, we need to
find stability for these children so that they can be
successful too.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I grey one hundred percent and it's exactly what I
look for in a judge. And the reason I say
this is so important. I keep hammering this down, but
this election is very important because you don't want somebody
in there that's going to become complacent. It's going to
start hammering that gavel. Six months and you know, juvenile
(19:56):
detention center and onto the.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Next we're going to be kids that needs to be
in the relation center. We have heinous crimes, they're enumerated.
Some of these kids will be charged as adult. The
DA has the charge in power. If judges find probable
cause for some of these crimes, they're going straight up.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
But then there's others that need second chances and need rehabilitation.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Yeah, because they're getting out at some point. Yes, that's
why the rehabilitation is so important. Whether you like it
or not, most are going to get out, and you
don't want them getting out and having no options.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Yeah. I mean, juvenile life is twenty one. So at
some point they're getting out. They're getting out, and we
need to they need to be successful. Educate, rehabilitate, get
them jobs, get them trades.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
All the stuff. Then you also said, quote, our youth
deserve a system that holds them accountable but also helps
them find a path forward somewhere in what we just
said about and I think we've already covered this, but
making education and treatment of priority.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Yes, trum treatment. Yeah, trauma is a big thing. So
some of these kids, when stuff happens to them, they
go into flight or fight mode.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Do you know what happens when that Yeah, cortisol.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Yeah, it just soaks your brain and it can change
your whole brain chemistry, how you think about everything. So
these kids have to deal with the underlying issue of
their traumas in order to move forward.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Let's talk about some of your endorsements. Okay, real quick,
You've got quite a quite a bit, uh the most,
I guess the ones that stand out the most to me.
You were endorsed by the Livingston Parish Young Republican.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yes, and I am a young Republican and you are
a young Republican Republican.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
There you go. Also the Livingston R Pack.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yes, that was a big, big one.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
And look y'all, I was at a I guess you
could say, a lunch awards ceremony a couple of weeks ago,
and we got a Future five.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Yes, that was very I was not expecting that, but
that was that was a great achievement.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I can tell you it was probably made for you
because you have accomplished so much.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And I want to accomplish so much more.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, you got The future looks bright. The future
looks bright. Now I want to dress something, okay, real quick.
And look, everybody who listens to this show knows how
I feel about MUDs laying. And if you notice, me
and Jenny four have sat here this whole podcast almost
(22:34):
a half hour already and we haven't we haven't once
talked about any other candidates. It was all about Jenny
because I don't want to spend my time talking about
other candidates with her here, and she doesn't want to
sling mud on anybody. She wants to run her race.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, it's about my qualifications and my platform and what
I stand on, and I hope people are looking at
my qualifications.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
That's right. Spend spend her time talking herself up instead
of talking down others. That tells me a lot about
who I want to vote for. A lot of times
when I see that stuff, that's the person I don't.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Want to deal with exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I'm just going to be honest about that. But there's
been a lot of ugliness. I guess you could say
that I've come across recently online and it relates to
some family that.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Name. Yeah, at the end of the day, they just
have my last name. I don't have any dealings with them.
There are some things that was said about Colt's mother,
who is not Colt's mother.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
No, And Colt's mom is an amazing woman and she
raised an amazing son.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
So I just hate that that was.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
There is a lot of lies that were put out
and I don't know where it's coming from, but it's
not true. Actually, it's been being run by Pakistan So yeah,
some bots. So I mean, whoever made this page, they
spent a lot of time I guess blasting me stuff
(24:12):
I have no control.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Over, no control over, and it's I don't.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Have anything to do with it.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Nothing new, nor my family, my immediate family, nor my
children who were put on there.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, so it's really disgusting. Yeah, and my and this
is someone on the outside looking in. Let me tell
you something about Jenny four And we share a lot
of mutual friends. And you can always tell who someone
is by who they are friends with. A lot of times.
And the people that you know share Jenny's space are
(24:45):
good people. And for those of you that are running
races where you feel like you've got to tear somebody
down because you can't run on your own accord, I
feel sorry for you. That's what I have to say.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
That's what I would ask voters just to look at
my qualifications and make their own judgment of me.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
And if you have questions, please reach out to me.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
My phone line is always open and I will answer
your questions.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
So I love it, and that's all we're going to
say about it. But I'll say you're a great person. Well,
I support you one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
I think you're going to do great things in this
judge ship, and I believe in speaking things into reality.
So I'm going to start calling you when I'll see
you Judge Jenny four.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Hopefully my plans God's plan, yeah, And if not, he
has a plan for me.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Amen, he sure does. But I'll tell you what, there
is nobody on God's green Earth that's going to outwork you.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
I can tell you I work hard and I will
continue to work hard for our community.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Any any final.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Thoughts, No, I've just asked the voters to please go
out and vote March twenty ninth.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Yes, we need to. I'm glad you said that. We
don't even tell.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
People we're expecting a very low voter turnout, which is
unfortunate because this is so important.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
It is so if you show up for any election,
this needs to be the one go out vote. It
takes five minutes. As a matter of fact, if it's
a low voter turn out, you ain't gonna have to
wait line.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You probably walk right off for them to vote for
me and support me. In early voting is the fifteenth
through the twenty second.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yep, so, so early voting fifteenth through twenty second, election
day March twenty ninth. Or you do you have I
saw you had a I don't know if I call
it an appearance or something a few weeks ago. Do
you have anything coming up?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
I have one.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Is it March thirteenth or fourteenth? That's in the French
settlement area?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Okay, so.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I think it's on It's on Facebook, and I'll share
it on my page too.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Very good, and I'll lank her Facebook in the description
of this video so that you can click get a
look give her like follower whoever runs your page doing
a great job on that.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
And I have so much on my calendar that I
can't even tell you what date it is. I'll live
by my calendars.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
That helps us. Colt has we all have access to
this calendar. We're just we're just figuring it.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Out right now, so totally get it. Well. Thank you
for coming on. It's been an honor.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Thank you for having me to kind of go through.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Your life amazing so far and you still you still
got many many years to go, still a young lady,
but you are so experienced in this, and I would
love to see the community get out and support you,
whether you're in sant Helena, Livingston Parish or TANGI behoove
(27:33):
you know you're you're up, go vote. Thank you, thank
you very much for coming on. Thank you, and until
next time, I'm your host Jim Chapman with local leaders
of podcasts, reminding you love your community, support local business
and local judges and keep leading. Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
In Night
Hey everyone, and welcome back to Local Leaders the podcast.
And look, they have a major election coming up for
the twenty first Judicial Juvenile Court judge. I have a
candidate for that position sitting across from me, and I'm
gonna let her introduce herself.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thanks Jim.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yes, my name's Jenny Richardson for and like you said,
I'm running for Juvenile Court judging the twenty first JDC
and that's going to cover the parishes of Livingston, Tangiba
Ho and Saint Helena.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Probably the most important election of the year that people
don't think is that major of a deal. Most people,
it just doesn't look it's not the president, is what
they're thinking in their mind. Probably the most important election,
in my opinion, out there right now because it's juveniles exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
These are our children and we need to make sure
that our community's safe and that these children are getting
the resources they need to succeed in life.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Speaking of life, we're going to talk about your life
a little bit today. As I was researching this, all
I saw was a worker, a hard worker, and someone
who was a leader. And we're going to start off
maybe during your college where did you go to college?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I went to Louisiana State University.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You were a cheerleader.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
I was cheered for LSU for three years. I cheered
my first two years, and I got hurt and actually
didn't make it my third year and overcame that worked
really hard and went back and cheered again my fourth year.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
People don't realize the work. Look when you're in college
and you do anything extra outside of studying, it's impresso.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yes, so, I mean we practiced five days a week,
We had workouts, all the stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
So it's just.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Like being on the football team, and we go year round.
We cheer for football. We cheer for basketball, both women's
and men's. I've cheered for swim meets, like who cheers
for swim meets? Soccer matches, all the stuff. Oh, gymnastics,
we cheered at the gymnastics, volleyball, all the.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Stuff and events.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Yes, disappearances, yes, yeah, they have us as the face
along with Mike the Tiger, and we have to make
a lot of the events.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
And what did you graduate in.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
I graduated in accounting.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yes, I was a political science major and a business minor.
And my uncle, who is an attorney, said, Jenny, if
you don't go to law school. Where are you going
to do with your political science degree? He said, he
needs a switch. And I was doing great at my
accounting classes, so I said, okay, I'm going to go
and graduate in accounting.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And I also did lshu's internal auditing program.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh so very good. But yes, now we're like numbers.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
That wasn't my calling. I loved going to law school.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
Well, in a good degree to have in your back pocket.
It is accounting, especially with what you do.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I mean I had enough hours to sit for the
CPA exam and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Yeah. So you go to law school. Did you fall
in love with the law?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I did? Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Where did you go to law school?
Speaker 3 (03:21):
I went to Southern University Law Center and I graduated
magna cum latti from there.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Okay, look at you, Jenny four. As a matter of fact,
near the top of your class.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Top four four. Yeah, wow four.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Very impressive And what impressed me when I looked into
that aspect of your life. The Chancellor's Award for Leadership
just one of the many awards that you were honored with.
Outstanding Leadership Award. Yes, you served on the school's Law
Review and you were vice president of the Student Bar associates.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I was yep, so vice president four.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
I'd just be studying it.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
I mean no, I was active even though I was
in law school. I did what I can or could
to be active.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And I would imagine your experience as a cheerleader kind
of gave you a leg up on leadership in general
and how to work with teams.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yes, and talk to people and communicate with people and
just be out there. Yeah, help people, because even with cheering,
we gave back to the community.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
We were always out in the community doing something right.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
So eventually you graduate from Southern University Law Center, it's
off and into life. At some point you marry the
love of your.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Life who I met in law school.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Who you met in law school, who is another lawyer? Yes,
mister cault Ford. Yes, and you'll have two.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Children yep, Cecil and Cassius love the net. C six
and Casses four.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And they are just as active as I am.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Yeah. Yeah, you are busy.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, we have a village keeping us together right now.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Wow, that's a beautiful thing. When you're a lawyer and
you get out in the law world, you I want
to choose what you want to specialize in. What you
want to do. Some people go the personal injury 'ro oute,
some people go the public defender. We're oute, what did
you choose?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
So in law school I clerked for some bit pretty
big firms mclinch, Stafford, George Carrigan and Styles. It just
wasn't my thing. Yeah, So I was looking for a
job and I was blessed. I'm telling you, by the
grace of God. I was put in Judge Edwards's court
as her law clerk, and I clerked for her. I
started clerking for her for a year and a half,
and that's juvenile court. Yeah, and you don't learn juvenile
(05:32):
law in law school. The only thing that you would
is sometimes we do clinics, right, and there's like a
crim law clinic, a juvenile clinic, family law clinic. But
I didn't do juvenile law clinic in law school. I
had no idea what I was getting into, and so
I stepped into her court and fell in love with
helping the community and children.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
You had a passion for, Yeah, I mean it's clear throughout.
Just looking over your resume, if you will, you can
see that that is exactly where you need to be,
because that's where you are I guess most passionate.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
So I waited for a job to open up at
the Public Defender's Office and then I moved over and
have been representing kids and Judge Edwards's court for the
last ten years.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
So what is it about juveniles our future?
Speaker 3 (06:18):
They need to succeed. We need to give them the
resources to succeed. There's kids in our community and families
in our community that need help, and if we aren't
helping them, who is Yeah, and we need to come
together more as a community and help them.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
So what spurred this vacant seat to begin with?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
So Judge Edwards ringing for the first Circuit Court of
Appeal and went in unopposed. So she qualified in July
and she would have been on the November ballot with
the president jual election. But because she went and unopposed,
the seat opened up.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
So it's vacant.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
We would be finishing out her term and whoever wins
would actually have to run again in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Isn't there you have to eight years or something there.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
You have to have you have to be barred for
eight years?
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Okay, so you used to remind her.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
That, Oh my gosh, yes, So I decided some when
sometime when I was clerking for her, that I was
going to run for the spot either when she retired
or it came open. And so for years and years
and years, I would say, judge, you can't go to
the first circuit yet, you can't retire yet. I have
two more years, I have three more years or whatever
it was. And so finally I had enough years.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Since she could go, yeah, now you can go on,
you can go.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I'm ready and I'm ready, and I mean it puts
it takes a lot. She had to bring some of
that home for years and years and years, and it
takes a toll on a person being in this court too.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Looking over everything, it looks like you just were preparing
for this the whole time. You were very experienced in
both truancy court yes and drug court yep.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So I am assigned to represent children in these courts.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
So I've been.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I when I was clerking for her, I was involved
in drug court.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
And then when I started.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
At the Public Defender's Office, I am the public defender
for kids in juvenile drug court and the truancy cases.
Our truancy numbers are incredible, like it's crazy. We have
kids that are missing over forty and fifty days of
school and they're in first and second grade. So what
happens when that happens, Like, we are looking at these
(08:22):
families and we need to get in. We need to
be proactive and see what's going on with these families
and why they're missing school, because first graders just aren't
missing school. So and then by the time they're in
fourth grade, if they aren't reading, they're more likely to
drop out of school. And if they drop out of school,
what happens? They wind up in the system. And then
another crazy number that I look at all the time
(08:45):
is we're spending ten thousand dollars a year to educate
our children, but one hundred thousand dollars a year to
incarcerate our children. So what happens If we take some
of that money and put it in services on the
front end, that's right, then we wouldn't be dealing with
these kids on the back end.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Education really is the key. I think you nailed it.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
You have to educate these kids.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
So education creates hope.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
When you feel like you can, you know you can
go out there and you can conquer the world because
you have education behind you. Yes, that's a great feeling.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Yes, And you have to be able to read much
and we have parents children. There's a lot of people
involved in our juvenile court system that just can't read.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
I believe you're the only candidate that is active in
both truancy and drug courts, right, Yes, Yeah, that's a
big deal.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
They'll cover sometimes. The other candidates will cover sometimes for us,
but none of them are active on a weekly basis
in drug court or truancy court.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Yeah, that's a that's a huge deal. What is drug court?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
So it is an intervention program. We will meet that
I meet with the kids that are in Phase one
once a week, but our drug court team could be
meeting with these kids upwards of three times a week
and they're going to get randomly drug screened.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
If they're in our.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Drug court program, the school system has to allow them
back into school and it can be an alternative school.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Pine Ridge.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Pine Ridge is a great alternative school in Livingston Parish.
I have lots of kids that succeed there because it's
so structured and our kids, that's something they're missing is structured,
a family unit, parenting, all of that.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
So when they have that.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Little bit of structure, they succeed, So we get them
back in school.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
We're making sure they're off of drugs.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
We actually had our juvenile drug Court graduation last week
on Tuesday. I had three kids graduate from drug court.
One of them hadn't been in school for years. So
part of it as you have to have an education.
If you're in drug court, you're getting an education. So
this little boy, he was seventeen. I think he got
(10:50):
his high set in a week.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
That's how smart he was.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So now he is in north Shore Tech, has able
to get his driver's license, has a vehicle and setting
him up for success.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
That's what we're doing.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, we had a little girl that she would always
have her hair in front of her face and she
just didn't have any self worth and she didn't want
to go to school. I don't think her mom and
them they thought her anxiety was too bad and she
couldn't go to school.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So she is now in school and she loves school.
She's thriving in school.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
And then Rebirth is our program through the Office of
Juvenile Justice.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
It's our schooling program. It's an online program.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Sure one of the last graduate, she's one of the
first graduates of the Rebirth o JJ program. She's going
to be starting at a community college soon too.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
It really is a huge thing. So I hope the
listeners today get out of this the importance of this
election and to get out there and vote. To me,
what's most important is experience.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Yes, it matters, it does, especially in this kind of seat.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Yes. Blair Edwards had over two thousand cases.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yep last year and we have the most cases in
the state. Wow, most cases.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Yeah, in the biggest growing parish, Yes, in the state
of Louisiana.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
And with Tangibahoe too, because this is this is tri
Parish and Tangibyhoe is also one of the fastest growing
communities in the state.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Yes. And I'm glad you brought that up. Saint Helena
Livingston in Tangi voting for this particular judge ship you
represented two hundred and seventy juveniles yourself personally.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
So it's cases.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, maybe not, some of the cases could have been
the same ju Well that's yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yes, So two.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
Hundred and seventy and that's been about my case load
for the last couple of years.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
And it has been growing and the crimes have been
getting worse over the ten years I have been representing
these children.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You don't sleep much.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Jennifer, But between helping these kids in.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
My own.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You are busy. And let's talk about crimes involving guns
with juveniles certainly on the rise.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So I'm not sure where these kids are getting all
these guns. I know sometimes they're breaking into cars, cars
that are unlocked.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
I'm all four second Amendment. We just got to be super.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Respon your car.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Please like your car, Like your car. That's easy.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
So yeah, I mean they're getting these guns, they're making
them automatic guns. And then a juvenile that has a
possession of a handgun, that's just a misdemeanor.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah really yeah, six months suspending and first offense.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
You know how the law states, we're supposed to do
the least restrictive means, So that's just usually a probation offense.
So but I will say, if you are on probation
and a juvenile and found with a gun and convicted,
you were being revoked.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
You're going straight to a facility.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Either group home, whatever OJJ has the recommendation, or if
it's a group home or Florida Parish is long term,
or they're OJJ secure facilities.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
You were going, Yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Does any particular individuals stick out or individual cases where
it was a kid that people just pretty much gave
up on and you came across them and it was,
you know, someone that now looking back on it, it
was like, wow, that that really really changed that sensations.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
You have a lot of those cases, even their families, families,
extended family, they do just give up on them, and
it's almost like the family doesn't know how to deal
with them. They don't know how to deal with their
trauma or even parenting because maybe the parents weren't parented
and the parents have underlying trauma that they're trying to
deal with, so they just push it off on the kids.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
So and that's not fair to those kids.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
When you see these juveniles go through the system, how
long do they typically stay in the system, Do they
become adults and it just continues if you don't get.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
The services for them.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yes, and usually if they wind up in an OJJ facility,
they're going to be more likely to crimes. So we
need to get them out in community based services.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
And that's what just the numbers show.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
So if we get them out and start working with
them on the front end, they're going to be more
likely not have to go.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
To a long term program. But have you heard about
our Florida Parish's long term program?
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Tell me about it.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So it's a great program.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
I have a great work in relationship with Joey Dominic
in Florida Parish's Juvenile Detention Center, and I have kids
that are going in in there, and they are setting
them up to for success one hundred percent. So they
are going in there and usually Judge Edwards won't parole
them out until they have their high school diploma. So
there are when they're finished, so we'll have their high
(15:43):
school diploma, they will be OCEHOUS certified. They come out
with PPEs. Joey has north Shore Technical School in there.
He even has a Driver's ed program in there. But
one of the things I will say, sometimes these kids
are getting out at seventeen or even sixteen years old,
and we're putting them back in their same environments. It's
(16:03):
hard to get a job until you're eighteen, especially in
the plants are offshore.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Sure, so we need.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
To get a mentoring program together to for somebody more
than OJJ to oversee these kids and help them and
make sure they get the job when they turn eighteen,
and make sure they stay out of trouble until they're eighteen.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
So yeah, can make money and be productive.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
It's hope, it's it's uh, hey, I've got a skill.
I can apply a skill. I've stood on welding. Yeah,
you know, it's crazy for all those gamers out there.
If you realize how much drone operators get paid.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Now mean sin Clayton Foundation and Hammond is doing scholarships
for kids to learn how to fly drones.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
It's insane and it's only going to get more and
more in demand. And those trades. I've been on a
soapbox half my life screaming about trades. Trades lead to businessiness, ownership, business.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And that's where we're at right now. Maybe you don't
need a college education.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Maybe you need to go into a.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
Trade, and maybe that's better for you, a skill set.
My brother, he was dyslexic, was in special ed his
whole life.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
He is a diesel mechanic.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Yes, making a whole lot of money doing that and
one of the only diesel mechanics in the New Orleans area.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
So I great, I got a friend. The cuts grass
that makes over a million dollars a year.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
That's in cut grass.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Yeah, that's it. What he loves to do. That what
he loves today. He loves to be outside, get a
tam and he can make a ton of money doing it.
Judge Blair AdWords. Another thing that stood out to me.
You worked very plug Look, she is legendary. Yeah, legendary.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
She has made the juvenile court system what it is.
I am the only candidate that worked under her as
her law clerk.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
That's you.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
So I did that for a year and a half,
so I got to see the inside of being somebody
working under her, how she thinks as a judge, where
she's leaning towards so, and even being in her court.
I've seen all of that. But just working under her
for that year.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
And a half, would you call that experience invaluable? Oh yes,
oh yes, I would agree.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
I look up to her as a mentor a role model.
All the stuff she's done great.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
Yeah, and she's moved on up to the Court of
Appeal where she's at now.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
But we do miss her a lot.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Should you get elected. It's really just transferring her philosophy
in a lot of ways, and then adding what you
can to.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
I mean, the world is ever evolving, our court will
have to to so when there needs to be changes,
I plan to make changes and what works will keep.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I got some quotes that I dug up on you.
You said, as your juvenile judge, I will bring knowledge
and passion to the courtroom. I will continue to use
my experience and understanding of juveniles in the twenty first
judicial to work to lower crime while upholding the law.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Passion stood out to me in that statement.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
If I didn't think I was the right candidate for
this job, or the right person for this job, or
the most experienced for this job, I would not have
them ran for it.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
How important would you say it is to be passionate
about it?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
You have to, Yeah, you have to.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
I mean, these are families that need our help on
all levels, not just the delinquency help.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
We have foster.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Families that need our help. We have bio mom and
dads that need to work their case plans to try
to keep the family unit together. And then for the
ones that won't work their case plans, we need to
find stability for these children so that they can be
successful too.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
I grey one hundred percent and it's exactly what I
look for in a judge. And the reason I say
this is so important. I keep hammering this down, but
this election is very important because you don't want somebody
in there that's going to become complacent. It's going to
start hammering that gavel. Six months and you know, juvenile
(19:56):
detention center and onto the.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
Next we're going to be kids that needs to be
in the relation center. We have heinous crimes, they're enumerated.
Some of these kids will be charged as adult. The
DA has the charge in power. If judges find probable
cause for some of these crimes, they're going straight up.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
But then there's others that need second chances and need rehabilitation.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Yeah, because they're getting out at some point. Yes, that's
why the rehabilitation is so important. Whether you like it
or not, most are going to get out, and you
don't want them getting out and having no options.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
Yeah. I mean, juvenile life is twenty one. So at
some point they're getting out. They're getting out, and we
need to they need to be successful. Educate, rehabilitate, get
them jobs, get them trades.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
All the stuff. Then you also said, quote, our youth
deserve a system that holds them accountable but also helps
them find a path forward somewhere in what we just
said about and I think we've already covered this, but
making education and treatment of priority.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Yes, trum treatment. Yeah, trauma is a big thing. So
some of these kids, when stuff happens to them, they
go into flight or fight mode.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Do you know what happens when that Yeah, cortisol.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Yeah, it just soaks your brain and it can change
your whole brain chemistry, how you think about everything. So
these kids have to deal with the underlying issue of
their traumas in order to move forward.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Let's talk about some of your endorsements. Okay, real quick,
You've got quite a quite a bit, uh the most,
I guess the ones that stand out the most to me.
You were endorsed by the Livingston Parish Young Republican.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yes, and I am a young Republican and you are
a young Republican Republican.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
There you go. Also the Livingston R Pack.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Yes, that was a big, big one.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
And look y'all, I was at a I guess you
could say, a lunch awards ceremony a couple of weeks ago,
and we got a Future five.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
Yes, that was very I was not expecting that, but
that was that was a great achievement.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
I can tell you it was probably made for you
because you have accomplished so much.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And I want to accomplish so much more.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Yeah, yeah, you got The future looks bright. The future
looks bright. Now I want to dress something, okay, real quick.
And look, everybody who listens to this show knows how
I feel about MUDs laying. And if you notice, me
and Jenny four have sat here this whole podcast almost
(22:34):
a half hour already and we haven't we haven't once
talked about any other candidates. It was all about Jenny
because I don't want to spend my time talking about
other candidates with her here, and she doesn't want to
sling mud on anybody. She wants to run her race.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, it's about my qualifications and my platform and what
I stand on, and I hope people are looking at
my qualifications.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
That's right. Spend spend her time talking herself up instead
of talking down others. That tells me a lot about
who I want to vote for. A lot of times
when I see that stuff, that's the person I don't.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Want to deal with exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
I'm just going to be honest about that. But there's
been a lot of ugliness. I guess you could say
that I've come across recently online and it relates to
some family that.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
Name. Yeah, at the end of the day, they just
have my last name. I don't have any dealings with them.
There are some things that was said about Colt's mother,
who is not Colt's mother.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
No, And Colt's mom is an amazing woman and she
raised an amazing son.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
So I just hate that that was.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
There is a lot of lies that were put out
and I don't know where it's coming from, but it's
not true. Actually, it's been being run by Pakistan So yeah,
some bots. So I mean, whoever made this page, they
spent a lot of time I guess blasting me stuff
(24:12):
I have no control.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Over, no control over, and it's I don't.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Have anything to do with it.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Nothing new, nor my family, my immediate family, nor my
children who were put on there.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Yeah, so it's really disgusting. Yeah, and my and this
is someone on the outside looking in. Let me tell
you something about Jenny four And we share a lot
of mutual friends. And you can always tell who someone
is by who they are friends with. A lot of times.
And the people that you know share Jenny's space are
(24:45):
good people. And for those of you that are running
races where you feel like you've got to tear somebody
down because you can't run on your own accord, I
feel sorry for you. That's what I have to say.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
That's what I would ask voters just to look at
my qualifications and make their own judgment of me.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
And if you have questions, please reach out to me.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
My phone line is always open and I will answer
your questions.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
So I love it, and that's all we're going to
say about it. But I'll say you're a great person. Well,
I support you one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
I think you're going to do great things in this
judge ship, and I believe in speaking things into reality.
So I'm going to start calling you when I'll see
you Judge Jenny four.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Hopefully my plans God's plan, yeah, And if not, he
has a plan for me.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Amen, he sure does. But I'll tell you what, there
is nobody on God's green Earth that's going to outwork you.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
I can tell you I work hard and I will
continue to work hard for our community.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Any any final.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
Thoughts, No, I've just asked the voters to please go
out and vote March twenty ninth.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Yes, we need to. I'm glad you said that. We
don't even tell.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
People we're expecting a very low voter turnout, which is
unfortunate because this is so important.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
It is so if you show up for any election,
this needs to be the one go out vote. It
takes five minutes. As a matter of fact, if it's
a low voter turn out, you ain't gonna have to
wait line.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You probably walk right off for them to vote for
me and support me. In early voting is the fifteenth
through the twenty second.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yep, so, so early voting fifteenth through twenty second, election
day March twenty ninth. Or you do you have I
saw you had a I don't know if I call
it an appearance or something a few weeks ago. Do
you have anything coming up?
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (26:30):
I have one.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Is it March thirteenth or fourteenth? That's in the French
settlement area?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Okay, so.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I think it's on It's on Facebook, and I'll share
it on my page too.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Very good, and I'll lank her Facebook in the description
of this video so that you can click get a
look give her like follower whoever runs your page doing
a great job on that.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
And I have so much on my calendar that I
can't even tell you what date it is. I'll live
by my calendars.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
That helps us. Colt has we all have access to
this calendar. We're just we're just figuring it.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Out right now, so totally get it. Well. Thank you
for coming on. It's been an honor.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Thank you for having me to kind of go through.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Your life amazing so far and you still you still
got many many years to go, still a young lady,
but you are so experienced in this, and I would
love to see the community get out and support you,
whether you're in sant Helena, Livingston Parish or TANGI behoove
(27:33):
you know you're you're up, go vote. Thank you, thank
you very much for coming on. Thank you, and until
next time, I'm your host Jim Chapman with local leaders
of podcasts, reminding you love your community, support local business
and local judges and keep leading. Thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
In Night
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