A new law in town

Thanks to Friday’s ceremonial swearing in held at the Covington Courthouse, the 22nd Judicial District Court now has six new members, an unprecedented number. The newcomers are filling the places of four judges who stepped down from the bench before last fall’s elections and the two new seats created by the Legislature for family and juvenile court cases.

The ceremony featured keynote speaker Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine Kimball who praised St. Tammany’s court system as “always being ahead of the game” compared to other districts in the state.

The incoming judges were A. J. Hand taking over Elaine Dimiceli’s Division B seat; Richard “Rick” Swartz taking over Patricia Hedges’ Division C seat; William J. Crain taking over Larry Green’s Division G seat and Allison Penzato taking over Donald Fendlason’s Division H seat. Divisions K and L, the newly created seats, now have Mary Devereux and Dawn Amacker presiding over them.

Incumbent judges Martin Coady, William Burris, Peter Garcia, Reginald Badeaux, III, Raymond Childress and William Knight were also present for the swearing in.

The 22nd Judicial District Court covers both St. Tammany and Washington parishes. The ceremony was held at the Covington Courthouse at 2 p.m. with an earlier ceremony held prior in Franklinton at the Washington Parish Courthouse at 10 a.m.