ACLU’s 39th Annual Ben Smith Award honoree

By Marjorie R. Esman
Guest Columnist

Each year the ACLU of Louisi­ana gives the civil liberties award named for Benjamin E. Smith, a native New Orleanian and civil rights attorney who helped found the ACLU of Louisiana in 1956 and who was arrested for work to end segregation and for participating in mixed-race gatherings. The Award goes to individuals whose work has made a significant contribution toward civil liberties in Louisiana, especially in the areas of racial equality and First Amendment rights; gay rights; the right to religious freedom; womens’ rights and the rights of prisoners. Over the 38 years the award has been given, the common denominator for every Ben Smith award winner has been their pursuit of justice; their willingness to stand up for those who couldn’t stand up for themselves and speak for those whose voices had been silenced.

With justice as our theme, we’ve brought together three respected Louisiana judges to share the dais at this year’s ceremony, starting with former Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Pascal Calogero. Justice Calogero is the recipient of the 39th annual Ben Smith Civil Liber­ties Award. He’ll be joined on stage by current Chief Justice, Bernette Johnson, who will deliver the keynote address, and by retired Chief Judge of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, Judge Calvin Johnson, who will also offer remarks

Justice Calogero, who retired at the end of 2008, had a long and distinguished career as a jurist. Elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1972, he was named Chief Justice in 1990. As Chief Justice, he was a pioneer in spearheading the reform of Louisiana’s courts, the juvenile justice system, and the indigent defense system. His work set standards that would be modeled by courts across the US. Among these reforms is the creation of the Louisiana Indigent Defender Board, now a state executive branch agency to ensure a better criminal defense system for indigent defenders who are unfairly penalized for being poor. Another of Justice Calogero’s accomplishments is the establishment of the IOLTA program, a Trust Fund Account Program to fund law related programs that benefited the public and legal system. Justice Calogero’s call to reform the state’s juvenile justice system would be directly responsible for the historic collaboration of the three branches of government and an unprecedented overhaul of the system.

Providing the keynote address at the awards dinner honoring her predecessor will be current Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice, Bernette Johnson. No stranger to firsts or civil liberties battles, Judge Johnson was named the first African American Louisiana Chief Justice in 2013, but only after a racially tinged legal challenge from some of her colleagues who argued that Johnson didn’t have the seniority to be appointed chief justice. She would respond by filing a lawsuit, and after some political posturing, the matter was settled with Judge Johnson retaining her seat and position as the state’s top judge.

Finally, retired Orleans Parish judge Calvin Johnson will also offer remarks. Johnson, an outspoken advocate for civil liberties and criminal justice reform, is a former Ben Smith honoree.

The public is invited to attend the 39th Annual ACLU of Louisiana’s Ben Smith Civil Liberties Award Dinner. The event will be held, May 8, 2015 at 7 p.m. at the New Orleans Marriott Convention Center Hotel. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit our website at www.laaclu.org or by mail at P.O. Box 56157, New Orleans, LA 70156.

This article originally published in the April 13, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.