A judge has ruled that Louisiana Supreme Court Justice John Weimer will be allowed to campaign again for his spot on the state’s highest court.
U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles made the decision to lift the stay that blocked the election for the Supreme Court for the sixth district, The Advocate reported.
“Justice Weimer won in all respects,” his attorney John W. Perry said. “The election will go forward as scheduled.”
The judge’s ruling means that Weimer and any potential challengers can sign up for the race during the July 20-22 qualifying period. The election is on Nov. 8.
DeGravelles’ order also marks a legal defeat for Attorney General Jeff Landry and the state chapter of the NAACP, which secured the stay on May 4. It technically blocked the election of all Supreme Court judges. But because the seven justices run in staggered terms every two years, it most directly affected Weimer, since he is the only justice scheduled to be on the ballot this year.
Weimer, 67, a former college professor at Nicholls State, has said he wanted to seek a third 10-year term. He is the court’s chief justice by virtue of being its senior member, having first won election to the high court in 2001.
Weimer and three sheriffs in his district went to court two weeks ago – filing as private citizens – to overturn the stay.
The lawsuit from the NAACP, which began in 2019, technically prevented the election of all state Supreme Court Justices, but since the elections are staggered it mainly affected Weimer.
It was started because the NAACP said that two of the seven court districts should have a black majority since the state is one-third African American.
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