Charles Wainwright

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Charles Wainwright

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Millsaps College, 1979

Personal

Birthplace

Hammond, La.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Citizen's defense lawyer

Contact

Campaign website

Charles Wainwright (Democratic Party) ran for election for the Section K judge of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in Louisiana. He lost in the primary on November 3, 2020.

Wainwright completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Wainwright was born on September 16, 1954, in Hammond, Louisiana. He graduated from Millsaps College in 1979 with a bachelor's degree and attended Southeastern Louisiana University. His career experience includes working as a citizen's defense lawyer. Wainwright has been affiliated with the Big Easy Kiwanis Club and the Drug Policy Alliance.

Elections

2020

See also: City elections in New Orleans, Louisiana (2020)

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Section K

Marcus DeLarge defeated Stephanie Bridges in the general election for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Section K on December 5, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marcus DeLarge (D)	51.0	32,754
		Stephanie Bridges (D)	49.0	31,504

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,258
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Section K

Stephanie Bridges and Marcus DeLarge defeated Charles Wainwright in the primary for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Section K on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stephanie Bridges (D)	37.9	56,456
✔		Marcus DeLarge (D)	36.1	53,803
		Charles Wainwright (D)	26.0	38,743

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 149,002
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Diedre Pierce Kelly (D)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Charles Wainwright completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wainwright's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the son of a Cuban immigrant, the first in my family to graduate college and the only one who has a professional license. I began practicing law on January 3, 1990, in Section A. of the Criminal District Court as the public defender assigned to Judge Miram Waltzer's court. I have dedicated my life to the fair and impartial administration of justice. Additionally, I have defended and sought to preserve our constitutional rights protecting us from an overreaching government. I have conducted more than 750 jury trials, litigated numerous appeals and have successfully challenged and had two criminal statutes declared unconstitutional during my career.

At 67, I will be able to serve 1 term and that guarantees my independence. We are facing tremendous challenges right now, as a society and within the criminal justice system. My knowledge of the law and my compassion for all of the participants within the criminal justice system, are what are needed right now. I am offering a lifetime of experience to the city of New Orleans.

,

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I have three decades of experience.
• I am knowledgeable in the law.
• I am independent.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have challenged the rationality of Drug Prohibition for my entire career.

We need to integrate, pubic health services and job training opportunities, into the "criminal justice" system.

Each person, on each side of a criminal prosecution, is due respect and must be treated accordingly.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The administration of the law within the criminal justice context impacts a myriad of social and legal systems.

1. Depriving citizens of their liberty-or not- is as important responsibility as a governmental officer can be charged with.
2. The fiscal impact of particular decisions, have never been considered under ordinary circumstances, particularly when it comes to putting people in prison. This is how Louisiana went from less than 8,000 persons in prison in 1978 to 45, 000 in prison in 2015.
Today, these costs are being reexamined.
3. The societal cost of decisions to imprison a family member are incredible and multi-generational.

4. There are truly dangerous individuals that need to be segregated from society, until they acquire the growth and wisdom, to be able to live among us, without victimizing others.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Jimmy Carter, the Dali Lama, Pope Francis, attorneys Jim Boren and Robert Glass, to name two.

Judges Miram Waltzer, Patrick Quinlan, Terry Alacon, Julian Parker and Calvin Johnson.

Carter, Francis and the Dali Lama, each demonstrate what it is to be a compassionate person in our modern times.
Boren and Glass, are intelligent, thoughtful, innovative lawyers, with great temperaments.

The judges I have names, each knew how to manage a court room, treat people with respect and how to get the job done with dignity.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, and 1984.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I am really not a "political" person or candidate.
I believe knowledge of the law, experience in applying the law and integrity are crucial to establish and maintain the reputation of the justice system.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Knowledgeable, Experienced, Interdependent, Respected

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To fairly administer the law in a timely manner, respecting the rights of the accused;as well as, those of the victims.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That of being a well loved jurist,
who when he had to do the hard things, everyone e involved knew, that it was the thing that had to be done.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The death of my maternal grandfather, who I am named after. I was 4.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working as a construction laborer for my father's construction company. I began as a 12 year old. I worked for my father off and on, all through college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Animal Farm
It succinctly characterized the foibles of modern society.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Perry Mason

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Revolution by the Beatles

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Living in a society that has not met its aspirations.

Our economic inequality since 1980, has grown to a level near that of just before the Great Depression.
When I grew up a father could work, a mother could be a homemaker and a family ordinarily had 3 to 5 children. This is no longer possible in America.
Living in a society where institutional racism, worked out via THE DRUG WAR, has destroyed million of families.

Living in a "free nation" that imprisons more of it's citizens per capita than any other nation on earth.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Making sure that people are given the chances they earn, to demonstrate that they can live a law abiding life.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

It would always be beneficial to have a broad experience in life, when called to judge others.
However, I do not belive that "experience" in politics" is an appropriate consideration for a criminal court judge.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Knowledge of the law and experience applying the law, from the trial court to the Supreme Court.

I have 3 decades of experience.
I have represented more than 7,000 citizens.
I have negotiated 1000's of just Plea Bargains.
I have conducted 750 jury trials.
I have tried two Death Penalty Cases.
I have conducted thousands of evidentiary hearings.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 
                                                                                                        

I am also an accomplished appellate lawyer: State v. Shisler, No. 2020-KK-00145, (La. 05/01/2020) ; State v. Skipper, 906 So.2d 399, (La., 2005); State v Brazley,773 So.2d 718,(La., 2000)

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Footnotes

Louisiana courts

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Federal courts:

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana

State courts:

Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts

State resources:

Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana