Judge Charles Elloie, ‘the people’s judge,’ dies

8th June 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

Charles Elloie, community organizer, attorney and Criminal District Court judge, passed away on May 31 from complications of diabetes. He was 82.

Born on April 6, 1938, Elloie grew up in the Lafitte Public Housing Development as the fourth of five children. His family was one of the original tenants of the development. Elloie’s father was a Pullman porter on the Sunset Limited railroad. As a result, Elloie was a lifelong aficionado of train travel.

A passionate advocate of education, Elloie graduated from Dillard University in 1960 with a BA in education and biology. He taught biology and math in the Orleans Parish School System from 1960 to 1966.

After leaving teaching, he became the first African American in an eleven-state region to be hired as an agent by the Prudential Insurance Company. But while he enjoyed the job’s personal interactions, he longed to address inequalities within his community.

In 1968, Elloie lost his run for a seat on the Orleans Parish School Board. A year later, he started the Community Organization for Urban Politics (COUP) with an attorney and friend, Robert Collins. COUP’s work and influence was heavily focused in the 6th and 7th wards.

After an unsuccessful run for the House of Representatives in 1969, Elloie worked for Mayor Moon Landrieu as an assistant and as director of youth opportunities. He worked to provide recreational and employment opportunities for young people and worked to eliminate economic and social barriers faced by people of color.

From 1972-75, Elloie served as an assistant to Governor Edwin Edwards. In 1975, he had his last unsuccessful campaign for public office when he lost a race for state representative.

After this race, he made the decision to pursue his dream of becoming an attorney. He began his legal studies in 1976 at the Southern University Law Center. In the 1978-79 school year, he served as the president of the Student Bar Association.

Elloie received his law degree in 1979. He began a successful criminal law practice in 1980. From 1980 to 1996, he fought tenaciously for his clients’ rights and for equality in the justice system.

In 1996, Elloie was elected to the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court with an eye-popping vote total of about 98,000. When he was up for re-election in 2002, he ran unopposed.

During his tenure as judge, Elloie faced criticism from some, including former Orleans Parish District Attorney Harry Connick, for releasing arrestees on recognizance bonds or reduced bails. Elloie was suspended in 2006 by the Louisiana Judiciary Commission because of some of these complaints and retired in 2007.

Family friend and attorney Ernest Jones praised Judge Elloie for his commitment to justice for everyone who appeared in court, regardless of their income level or social status.

“Charlie Elloie deeply believed that all government systems should be fair, and that regular people should see that fairness,” Jones said. “He had a lifetime commitment to taking action against systemic racial injustice which White America may have finally discovered in the last 10 days. Like all Black leaders, he paid a personal cost.”

Thelma French, a friend of Elloie’s since the early 80s and president/CEO of Total Community Action, described Elloie as down-to-earth. He was never a person who let his status as judge get to his head.

“He was the people’s judge, a unique character who loved New Orleans and the Treme community,” French said. “Wherever you ran into him, he would engage you in conversation and challenge your intellect.”

In recent years, Judge Elloie was confined to a wheelchair due to a leg amputation. He is survived by his wife and companion for over 30 years, Dr. Pearlie Hardin Elloie, as well as two sons, Charles and Joseph, and a brother, Wilbur. He had nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A small service was held on June 6 at Charbonnet-Labat Funeral Home. Friends say they hope for a larger memorial once the city eases capacity restrictions in churches.

This article originally published in the June 8, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.