Judge's removal of Carolyn Deal from ballot stayed by appeals court

In an eight-to-four decision, the Third Circuit Court of Appeal on Thursday, Oct. 30, granted New Iberia attorney Carolyn Deal a stay of Judge Keith Comeaux's ruling that she must withdraw her candidacy for district judge in the 16th Judicial District.
Deal's writ for a stay has been converted to an appeal, the 16th JDC ordered to forward the records of the case to the appeals court, and the matter set for oral arguments within 48 hours of the receipt of the records.
Too late for a final decision before Tuesday's election.
Deal was ordered on Oct. 24, to withdraw by Comeaux, ruling in a suit filed by the 16th Judicial District Attorney's office. The DA argued that she did not meet the constitutional requirement that a candidate for the state district court bench be a lawyer for at least eight years prior to running.
"Elections give the people the right to choose," Deal said in a prepared statement on Saturday.
"I was asked to run by the people, so I am doing this for the people. (District Attorney) Phil Haney cannot be allowed to continue his control over our electoral process. We need an honest and fair election without interference from the tyranny of good ol' boy politics."
Dissenting were Judges John E. Conery, Elizabeth A. Pickett, Shannon J. Gremillion and Phyllis M. Keaty.
Deal qualified to run on Aug. 21, and, according to evidence presented in Comeaux's court, was admitted to the Louisiana Bar on Oct. 29, 2007. Effective today, Wednesday, Oct. 29, Deal had only reached her seventh anniversary as a lawyer.
In rebuttal, Deal said she believes the Louisiana Constitution only requires a judicial candidate to have been a lawyer within at least eight calendar years – in her case counting 2007 through 2014 for a total of eight.
She is running in one of two districts designed to increase the viability of minority candidates. Also running for the District H seat are Alisia Johnson Butler and Lori Landry, the incumbent.