President’s Column

Authors

Jim McKay

Date of this Version

2009

Document Type

Article

Citation

Court Review, Volume 45, Issue 4, page 103

Comments

Copyright © 2009 American Judges Association. Used by permission.

Abstract

I was elected to the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in December 1982. A great many changes have been made in regards to the judiciary in these past 28 years.

At the time I took office the citizens’ perception of judges was that they were honorable men and women in a highly respectable position. Oh, how perceptions can change. I am still working with the same type of honorable men and women—the only thing that has changed is the public perception. What caused this you may ask; well, that could be the grist for many law review articles. Although only 30 percent of our population can tell you who the Chief Justice of our United States Supreme Court is, what is clearer today than ever before is that the public is more aware of judges and what they do.