24th JDC candidate runs on experience

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer

Thomas Anzelmo has a surname well-known to Jefferson Parish voters. In fact, the 24th JDC candidate in the December 6, 2014 runoff believes that his family legacy has uniquely prepared him to serve on the bench.

As he explained in an interview with The Louisiana Weekly, “As a third-generation attorney, I learned from an early age the importance of preparation and attention to the details required to be successful lawyer. I started working in the legal profession when I was 16 years old as a file clerk and court runner in my father’s office, which enabled me to learn the profession from the bottom up. Frequent conversations with my father and grandfather taught me that you had to be open-minded and fluid because the arguments and/or testimony of your opponent or a witness could change, to be patient, to think before you spoke and to do what is right over what is convenient. These attributes – preparation, open-mindedness, patience, flexibility, and doing what you think is right – will make me a great judge.”

“I want to be a 24th JDC judge because of the direct effect the judges have on people’s lives. I first became aware of this effect shortly after I began my judicial clerkship with Judge Henry Sullivan, Jr. of the 24th JDC in 1999. As a third-generation attorney with a family history of public service, being a public servant for the citizens of Jefferson Parish – where I have lived my entire life – is important to me would not be taken lightly. In 2009, I was asked to be a Magistrate for the City of Harahan, which I wholeheartedly accepted. Being a Magistrate has not only reinforced my desire to be full-time judge, but has confirmed that I have the legal knowledge, temperament and patience required of a good judge. Lastly, as an attorney who has handled numerous matters in district courts, I believe that I can bring a greater efficiency to the court.”

In a less than subtle dig at his opponent, “I have significant experience from the judicial perspective, as opposed to a one-time appearance in Westwego Court or the infrequent ad hoc appearance. Not only was I trained by one of the best judges currently on the 24th JDC bench, I have proven that I have the knowledge, patience, understanding of the law, and temperament to be a fair and unbiased judge. In addition, my private practice has provided me with a broader base of experience and knowledge about the variety of cases typically heard in district court than the [other candidate] in this race.”

Anzelmo runs on five principal planks in his platform. He pledged that he “would be fair, impartial, open-minded, informed, and respectful to all litigants; would start court on time, be prepared, and be knowledgeable of the applicable law so that rulings on both civil and criminal matters are timely made; would equitably administer the law as written and not legislate from the bench; In civil and criminal cases, would set matters that do not require testimony or involve several litigants prior to matters that do and set matters for trial to allow the litigants to have their cases heard in a timely fashion; and would uphold the dignity of the court by remembering that judges are public servants and working all hours necessary to efficiently and effectively adjudicate the matters presented to my division.”

This article originally published in the November 24, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.