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939 So. 2d 1198

In re Elloie

Supreme Court of Louisiana

Decided October 11, 2006

Supreme Court of Louisiana · decided 2006-10-11

Decided 2006-10-11

CALOGERO, C.J.,

¶1would grant respondent’s motion for time to respond to the Judiciary Commission’s recommendation for immediate disqualification from office and desists from voting regarding removal of x-espondent from office at this time for the reasons assigned.

JOHNSON, J., dissents and will assign reasons.
CALOGERO, Chief Justice,

¶2granting respondent’s motion.

¶3IH respectfully disagree with the majority’s denial of Respondent’s motion for time beyond seven days to respond to the Judiciary Commission’s Recommendation for Immediate Disqualification. Respondent on September 29, 2006, received his first notice that there had been filed in this court a recommendation for immediate disqualification. Upon receiving the notice, Respondent hired an attorney who — for reasons personal to that attorney — has filed a motion for time to file a brief in response to the Commission’s recommendation for immediate disqualification. While Respondent has in the past neglected to respond to the Judiciary Commission, he has not had the opportunity to respond to the Commission’s recent filing in this court. In my view, the court should refrain from ruling on the Judiciary Commission’s recommendation for immediate disqualification without benefit of the Respondent’s lawyer’s brief in opposition thereto; therefore, I would have granted Respondent’s motion for time and given him ten additional days to file his brief.

¶4Furthermore, I would desist at this time from voting on the Commission’s recommendation for immediate disqualification. I would not remove Respondent from office by interim disqualification without his having presented his argument in brief for the court’s consideration. This is not to say that I disagree or agree with the Commission’s recommendation. I simply would not act on that recommendation 12without benefit of Respondent’s contrary arguments as presented for him by his attorney

JOHNSON, J.

¶5dissents and assigns reasons:

¶6hi would grant the Respondent’s motion which would allow his attorney additional time to respond to the Judiciary Commission’s Recommendation for Immediate Disqualification. The Respondent should be afforded the opportunity to respond to the Commission’s recent filing in this Court before removing him from office. I would not vote on the Commission’s recommendation for immediate disqualification with*1199out giving Judge Elloie this opportunity to be heard.

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