NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Fifteen New Orleans-area elected officials told Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Katherine Kimball in a letter Wednesday that she should "exercise true leadership" to ensure that Justice Bernette Johnson succeeds her as the court's chief.
Kimball retires next year. Louisiana's Constitution says the longest-serving justice must succeed her. Johnson and Justice Jeffrey Victory have each staked claims to being the longest-serving.
When voters elected her in 1994, Johnson, who is black, technically filled an appeal court seat but was assigned to serve on the Supreme Court full-time under the settlement of a voting rights lawsuit. Victory, who is white, was elected in 1995. Johnson was later elected from a conventional Supreme Court district after district boundary lines were redrawn.
Kimball told fellow justices last month to file briefs on the matter. Johnson's supporters say Kimball should end the dispute and allow Johnson to succeed her.
"She was elected in 1994 and began serving on the Supreme Court with all duties, privileges, and powers of a Justice of the Court, one year prior to Justice Victory joining the Court," the letter to Kimball said.
The letter released by attorney Bill Quigley on behalf of the 15 officials: U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond; state Sens. Karen Carter Peterson, David Heitmeier; Jean-Paul Morrell and Ed Murray; state Reps. Austin Badon, Wesley Bishop, Jared Brossett and Helena Moreno; New Orleans constable Lambert Boissiere Jr. ; Public Service Commissioner Lambert Boissiere III; Orleans Parish School Board members Brett Bonin and Lourdes Moran; Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman; and New Orleans City Council member Cynthia Hedge-Morrell.
"They asked her to just stay out of the way and let Justice Johnson become the chief and forget about all this other discussion," Quigley said in an interview.
Johnson went to federal court last month to block her colleagues from debating and voting on whether she or Victory has served the longest.
On Friday, attorneys for the Justice Department's civil rights division urged U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to rule that Johnson's first few years of Supreme Court service count toward her seniority.
A hearing on the matter is expected next week.
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