Barial seeks open Domestic Court judgeship

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer

Family Court candidate Monique Barial recollected, “I began my undergraduate career thinking that I might eventually go to law school, but I was not very excited about it. It became a passion for me during a course on an introduction to the legal system. A guest speaker, who happened to be an elected official, was speaking to the class about his career as an attorney. He said that at the beginning of his career he had worked as a public defender in order to gain courtroom experience. He also said that he lost most of his cases but that was okay because his clients were guilty anyway. He said this as a statement of fact without any remorse and with an expression of indifference. I was infuriated. I took him to task for the statement.”

“I have always been something of an idealist,” she admitted. “Our system of justice does not work if those who have a part in it do not believe in the system themselves. If they don’t do their jobs to the best of their abilities, then it is not just the participants that suffer but society as a whole.”

BARIAL

Except for Judge D’Souza, the judges who handle family law matters do so because they are randomly assigned to them as the judges with the least seniority at CDC. I want to serve our city in Family Court because in my experience working in the court, I have seen many different types of families come before the court with diverse issues and I believe I have the education, experience, and temperament to fairly hear and understand all sides of an issue. I could have chosen to run for another judgeship, but I want to serve our citizens in Family Court.”

The problems at the Domestic Section of Civil District Court are often daunting, she observed. “From the view of a citizen who has to navigate within CDC, oftentimes a working, middle-class person, the biggest problem is likely inefficiency regarding the setting of hearings and the process of filing motions – especially when the citizen is representing himself – often resulting in longer hours spent at the courthouse and away from work.”

Therefore, Barial runs on three principal campaign planks. First, “families Need a More Efficient Docket. The people of New Orleans need a judge who not only knows Family law and how to apply it, but one who is also capable of managing this court’s docket efficiently so that families don’t have to wait months to resolve issues – especially time-sensitive issues.”

“I have the experience of successfully managing a domestic docket in Orleans Parish. I have the experience from working on both sides of the courtroom; as the right hand of the judge and as an attorney. The Family Court docket needs to be managed efficiently. I will set aside time for emergency filings – especially during those times of the year where families need faster access to the judge. For instance, at the beginning of the school-year and again before family-oriented holidays (like Thanksgiving and Christmas).”

Second, she continued, “Equality for ALL citizens is one of my guiding principles; it is a prerequisite of a fair and thoughtful judge. As a servant of the public elected to this Family Court, I will apply the laws of our constitution and the legislature fairly to everyone. Equal protection under the law is at the core of the respect and dignity which I will afford to all families.”

And, third, Domestic Violence Matters Often Require Immediate Protection – The spread in domestic violence has had a direct impact on the Family Court, Domestic Relations docket. There is no typical victim of domestic violence. They are both male and female, from all socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicities. It is alarming that some of the perpetrators and as well as their victims seem to be getting younger. It will be a part of my job, when appropriate, to issue protective orders for these victims, which sometimes include children and the elderly.”

This article originally published in the October 27, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.