BATON ROUGE, La. — A new law preventing anyone age 70 or older from running for constable or justice of the peace in Louisiana is facing stiff opposition — especially among the officials who are about to be banned from reelection because of their age.
The mandatory retirement provision was signed into law in June with little fanfare. Now, however, the law is drawing fire as the deadline for filing to run in the November election approaches next week. Some of the court officials affected by the new law say they intend to run anyway, even though it says they are too old.
‘‘I’m 77 years of age, but I feel that I’m more qualified and capable of being a justice of the peace at this age than I was when I was elected 42 years ago,’’ said Lynwood Broussard, who represents a ward in Lafayette Parish in south-central Louisiana. ‘‘I feel that the people in my district should decide if I’m capable or too old to represent them.’’
A law that sets a mandatory retirement age of 70 for constables and justices of the peace has been on the books since 2006. The law excluded anyone elected before then. Republican state Senator Elbert Guillory’s bill removed that exemption, a change that will affect about 160 officials.
Guillory says he sponsored the law on behalf of a constituent who said he represented the Louisiana Justice of the Peace and Constables Association. Guillory said the man raised concerns that the local officials are allowed to carry weapons under state law, while ‘‘in wheelchairs, some on oxygen tanks.’’
‘‘That sounded pretty reasonable,’’ Guillory said.
But the association denies any involvement in the bill.
‘‘Absolutely not. Put that in big huge bold letters and bold quotes. We did not ask for this and in no way wanted this,’’ said Connie Moore, a St. Tammany Parish justice of the peace and president of the association.
The story gets murkier from there.
Guillory said he doesn’t know the name of the person who requested the bill and can’t track him down because the man used a disposable phone to make the call. And while Moore said her association didn’t support the bill, no one from the organization raised public objections as the measure was moving through the Legislature over the course of a month.
Only one state lawmaker voted against the bill. But lawmakers now hit with criticism from local elected officials about to be ousted say they didn’t realize what the bill did, though its implications were explained during committee and floor hearings.
Moore said several officials have said they intend to defy the law and run for reelection.
‘‘I’ve told them they really need to think carefully about that,’’ Moore said.
--more--"
Related: Ferguson Protests Hijacked By Agent Provocateurs
And as I predicted:
"The protests were more subdued Tuesday night, with smaller crowds, fewer confrontations, and no tear gas."
Because the fraud has been exposed and the corporate media has been shown for what it is.
"Holder tries to reassure Ferguson protesters" by Alan Scher Zagier | Associated Press August 21, 2014
ST. LOUIS — Attorney General Eric Holder sought Wednesday to reassure the people of Ferguson about the investigation into Michael Brown’s death and said he understands why many black Americans do not trust police, recalling how he was repeatedly stopped by officers who seemed to target him because of his race.
Related: The Man Who Murdered Ibragim Todashev
What was he saying?
Holder made the remarks during a visit to the St. Louis suburb that has endured more than a week of unrest fueled by the fatal shooting of the black 18-year-old by a white officer. The Obama administration intended the trip to underscore its commitment to civil rights in general and the Ferguson case in particular.
This just such garbage, such a hallmark of agenda-pushing division, trying to motivate the black base of Democrat slaves to the polls with this contrived and encouraged distraction to divide and impose force from above.
**************
Holder also met briefly with Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who has been in charge of security in the community for nearly a week. The National Guard has also been called in to help keep the peace.
Doing a lousy job of it, too.
Asked whether he had confidence in the local investigation of the police officer, Johnson said Holder’s presence ‘‘is a guarantee on that.’’
I'm going to hold my mouth.
In Clayton, a grand jury began hearing evidence to determine whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown’s death. A spokesman for St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said there was no timeline for the process, but it could take weeks.
At the college, Holder told his audience that the most experienced agents and prosecutors would be assigned to the Ferguson investigation.
Outside the St. Louis County Justice Center in Clayton, where the grand jury convened, two dozen protesters gathered in a circle for a prayer, chanted and held signs urging McCulloch to step aside.
McCulloch’s deep family connections to police have been cited by some black leaders who question his ability to be impartial in the case. McCulloch’s father, mother, brother, uncle, and cousin all worked for the St. Louis Police Department, and his father was killed while responding to a call involving a black suspect.
Oh, is that why he has been accused of racism. Looks like he comes from a long line of real AmeriKan heroes, doesn't it?
And he IS a DEMOCRAT!
The prosecutor, who is white, has insisted his background will have no bearing on the handling of the Brown case, which has touched off days of nighttime protests during which authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear the streets.
Look at the agenda-pu$hing media just digging that race wedge into you!
The protests were more subdued Tuesday night, with smaller crowds, fewer confrontations, and no tear gas. Police said they still made 47 arrests, mainly of people who defied orders to disperse.
On Wednesday, police said an officer had been suspended for pointing a semi-automatic assault rifle at demonstrators, then cursing and threatening to kill one of them. A protester captured the exchange on video Tuesday and posted it to YouTube and other websites.
Yeah, I SAW THAT!
In a letter published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Holder promised a thorough investigation while calling for an end to the violence in Ferguson. He said the bond of trust between law enforcement and the public is ‘‘all-important’’ but also ‘‘fragile.’’
That, sir, I'm sorry to say, has been completely shattered.
Meanwhile, Brown’s funeral arrangements were set....
Oh, yeah, the dead guy.
--more--"
Did you see who would be eulogizing him?
Also see: In Ferguson protests, teens seek a wider justice
I didn't read that because that person fomented violence.
Related: Arkansas Acrobatics
Why no fuss about that, and why has it disappeared down the ma$$ media memory hole?
UPDATE:
"In the midst of all the hoopla and uproar, people are waking up and they are not happy with what they see. At the same time, the focus on trivial enterprise is at an all time high. We're pinging and ponging between the inane and the ridiculous. All of the signs of a massive slide into Idiocracy are obvious.....
--MORE--"
"Are you in the mood for more irony? This should give you a second helping (mind that waistline!) Observe the obvious ploy here that should be evident to those with an IQ over one hundred. Unfortunately, it appears that a significant portion of the population does not come up to this mark. Whatever yellow sheet journalist turned this out, he/she is trying to give the impression that there is a concert of approving voices for the august (dripping with gravitas) Holder. Not only is Holder a proven criminal, he is also a traitor to his country but then, so is everyone he works for too. Given what a fatuous prig he is, this strutting marionette is unlikely to bring much of anything to the table since his usual position is on his knees under the table.
I sometimes stand back in stark awe when I look at people like Holder but then I also stand back in stark awe when I observe the sheared sheep of these end times. You can't get the one without the other....
--MORE--"
NEXT DAY UPDATE:
Mo. governor pulls National Guard out of Ferguson
Once again, the attempt to set us at each other by race or gender has failed.
Democrat voter registration booth set up at scene of Michael Brown killing in Missouri
Not only is that disrespectful, it shows you how desperate they are about this coming election. Sorry to say it, but even with the added votes to the rolls the rigging won't work. This fall is going to be a Republican landslide in repudiation of Obama.
Now, today, the talk is of STRIKING SYRIA because of the FOLEY FRAUD after the MYTHICAL ISIS that seems to be EVERYWHERE and yet NOWHERE has allowed Obama to REINVADE IRAQ!
Combined with the health enrollments due in the next two months, this is NOT AT ALL a WINNING MESSAGE! I know the political banter will be do-nothing Republicans, but they don't have to do anything. They just have to be there.
And I'm not saying life will be better, either. In fact, I've argued here it will be worse because every time we vote for change things get worse. Kinda makes you think voting in rigged elections doesn't mean anything. But anyway, the Republican landslide is going to be so great there will be virtually no Democratic candidates that will be able to claim heavy black turnout.
Maybe in Mississippi, right? Remember, they got Cochran through. Is there a Democrat against him this time?
NEXT DAY UPDATE:
Mo. governor pulls National Guard out of Ferguson
Once again, the attempt to set us at each other by race or gender has failed.
Democrat voter registration booth set up at scene of Michael Brown killing in Missouri
Not only is that disrespectful, it shows you how desperate they are about this coming election. Sorry to say it, but even with the added votes to the rolls the rigging won't work. This fall is going to be a Republican landslide in repudiation of Obama.
Now, today, the talk is of STRIKING SYRIA because of the FOLEY FRAUD after the MYTHICAL ISIS that seems to be EVERYWHERE and yet NOWHERE has allowed Obama to REINVADE IRAQ!
Combined with the health enrollments due in the next two months, this is NOT AT ALL a WINNING MESSAGE! I know the political banter will be do-nothing Republicans, but they don't have to do anything. They just have to be there.
And I'm not saying life will be better, either. In fact, I've argued here it will be worse because every time we vote for change things get worse. Kinda makes you think voting in rigged elections doesn't mean anything. But anyway, the Republican landslide is going to be so great there will be virtually no Democratic candidates that will be able to claim heavy black turnout.
Maybe in Mississippi, right? Remember, they got Cochran through. Is there a Democrat against him this time?
