Greg Guidry
2019 - Present
6
Greg Gerard Guidry is a judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Guidry to a seat on this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Guidry on June 19, 2019, by a vote of 53-46.[1] He received commission on June 21, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is one of 94 U.S. district courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Guidry was a Republican judge of the Louisiana Supreme Court, representing the 1st District, from 2009 to 2019.
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (2019-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Guidry to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The U.S. Senate confirmed Guidry on June 19, 2019, by a vote of 53-46.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Greg Guidry |
| Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 153 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: January 17, 2019
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial majority well qualified/minority qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: February 13, 2019
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: March 7, 2 019
|
| Confirmed: June 19, 2019
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| Vote: 53-46
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Guidry on June 19, 2019, on a vote of 53-46.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Guidry confirmation vote (June 19, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
0 | 44 | 1 | ||||||
 Republican |
53 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
 Independent |
0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 46 | 1 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Guidry was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[3]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[4]
It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[5] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Guidry's nomination on February 13, 2019.[1] On March 7, 2019, the committee voted 12-10 to advance Guidry's nomination to the full Senate.[6]
Nomination
Guidry was nominated to succeed Judge Kurt Engelhardt, who was elevated to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in May 2018.[1]
The American Bar Association rated Guidry substantial majority well qualified/minority qualified for the position.[7] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Louisiana Supreme Court (2009-2019)
Guidry was a Republican judge of the Louisiana Supreme Court, representing the 1st District, from 2009 to 2019. He was elected to the court in 2008 and re-elected on November 6, 2018.
| "Judge Greg Guidry," August 11, 2010 |
2018 election
- See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
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.
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District
Incumbent Greg Guidry won election outright in the primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Greg Guidry (R) |
| ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Richard Ducote (R)
2008 election
Guidry was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court in 2008, to the vacancy left by the retirement of Chief Justice Pascal Calogero.
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Party | Primary % | Election % |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greg Guidry  |
No | 1st District | Republican | 41.4% | 59.7% | |
| Jimmy Kuhn | No | 1st District | Republican | 30% | 40.2% | |
| Roland Belsome | No | 1st District | Democratic | 28.4% |
Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal (2006-2008)
Guidry was a judge of the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal from 2006 to 2008.
24th Judicial District, Louisiana (2000-2006)
Guidry was a judge of the 24th District Court in Louisiana from 2000 to 2006.
Early life and education
Guidry was born in Jefferson, Louisiana, in 1960. He earned his B.A., magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1982, his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1985, and his master of judicial studies from the National Judicial College in 2010. A Rotary Foundation scholarship allowed him to study classical civilization and Roman law at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa.[8][9][10][11]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- 2009-2019: Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court
- 2006-2008: Judge, Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal
- 2000-2006: Judge, 24th District Court
- 1990-2000: Assistant United States attorney, Eastern District of Louisiana
- 1989-1990: Assistant attorney general, Louisiana Department of Justice
- 1985-1989: Associate, Liskow & Lewis Attorneys at Law[11][8]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2003: Outstanding judicial award, Victims & Citizens Against Crime, Inc.
- 1994: Commendations for work as a federal prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney General and FBI director
- 1993: U.S. Chief Postal Inspector's Special Award for excellence in performance in the administration of criminal justice
Associations
- Member, The Federalist Society
- Member, 22nd Judicial District Court Bar Association
- Member, American Judges Association
- Member, Jefferson Bar Association
- Member, Louisiana Fifth Circuit Judges Association
- Past president, Louisiana Fifth Circuit Judges Association
- Member, Louisiana State Bar Association
- Member, New Orleans Bar Association
- Former member, American Bar Association
- Former member, Louisiana Sentencing Commission
- Past president, Judge John C. Boutall American Inn of Court[10][11]
Approach to the law
In communicating who he is to Louisiana's citizens, Guidry has said:
- He advocates a philosophy of judicial restraint.[12][13]
- He is in favor of publicly financed judicial campaigns.[12]
- The biggest issue confronting voters in who they choose is selecting a candidate "who will work hard to improve public confidence in a court system that many citizens don't believe is always fair and even-handed".[13]
Political outlook
In October 2012, political science professors Adam Bonica and Michael Woodruff of Stanford University attempted to determine the partisan ideology of state supreme court justices. They created a scoring system in which a score above 0 indicated a more conservative-leaning ideology, while scores below 0 were more liberal.
Guidry received a campaign finance score of 0.6, indicating a conservative ideological leaning. This was more conservative than the average score of 0.35 that justices received in Louisiana.
The study was based on data from campaign contributions by the judges themselves, the partisan leaning of those who contributed to the judges' campaigns, or, in the absence of elections, the ideology of the appointing body (governor or legislature). This study was not a definitive label of a justice, but an academic summary of various relevant factors.[14]
About the court
| Eastern District of Louisiana |
|---|
| Fifth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 12 |
| Judges: 9 |
| Vacancies: 3 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Wendy Vitter |
| Active judges: Barry W. Ashe, Nannette Jolivette Brown, Greg Guidry, Brandon Long, Susie Morgan, Darrel Papillion, Jane Triche-Milazzo, Wendy Vitter, Jay Zainey Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is a federal trial court based in New Orleans. It is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans, at the John Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.
The Eastern District of Louisiana has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. Like all U.S. district courts, the court has original jurisdiction over civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States;[15] certain civil actions between citizens of different states;[16] civil actions within the admiralty or maritime jurisdiction of the United States;[17] criminal prosecutions brought by the United States; and many other types of cases and controversies.[18] It also has appellate jurisdiction over a very limited class of judgments, orders, and decrees.[19]
The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Louisiana consists of all the following parishes in the eastern part of the state of Louisiana.[20]
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- Louisiana Supreme Court
- Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2018
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- The Louisiana Supreme Court
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Congress.gov, "PN203 — Greg Girard Guidry — The Judiciary," accessed February 14, 2019
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Guidry, Greg Gerard," accessed June 24, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," March 7, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV Judicial Nominees: 116th Congress," accessed March 7, 2019
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Nineteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees," January 16, 2019
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Justice Greg Guidry (LA)"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Louisiana Supreme Court, "Justice Greg Gerard Guidry," accessed August 22, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Greg Gerard Guidry," accessed June 20, 2019
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 nola.com, "Race for justice has new landscape," September 29, 2008
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 nola.com, "Conservatives Jimmy Kuhn and Greg Guidry battle for La. Supreme Court seat," October 23, 2008
- ↑ Stanford University, "State Supreme Court Ideology and 'New Style' Judicial Campaigns," October 31, 2012
- ↑ Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 1331
- ↑ Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 1332
- ↑ Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 1333
- ↑ Legal Information Institute, Title 28, United States Code, Chapter 85
- ↑ Under Legal Information Institute, 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1), for example, the U.S. district courts are authorized to hear appeals from final judgments, orders, and decrees of U.S. bankruptcy judges.
- ↑ Cornell Law School, 28 U.S.C. § 98(a)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District 2009-2019 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Wendy Vitter • Greg Guidry • Jay Zainey • Jane Triche-Milazzo • Nannette Jolivette Brown • Susie Morgan • Barry Ashe • Darrel Papillion • Brandon Long (Louisiana) | ||
| Senior judges |
Sarah Vance (Louisiana) • Eldon Fallon • Mary Ann Lemmon • Ivan Lemelle • Carl Barbier • Lance Africk • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Karen Wells Roby • Michael B. North • Janis van Meerveld • Donna Phillips Currault • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Thomas Porteous • John Dick • Thomas Bolling Robertson • Samuel Hadden Harper • Philip Kissick Lawrence • Theodore Howard McCaleb • Edward Henry Durell • Edward Coke Billings • Edith Clement • Alvin Rubin • Charles Parlange • Rufus Edward Foster • Eugene Davis Saunders • Helen Berrigan • Martin Feldman • Frederick Heebe • A.J. McNamara • Kurt Engelhardt • Charles Schwartz • Peter Beer • Marcel Livaudais • Charlton Reid Beattie • Wayne Borah • Louis Henry Burns • Robert Ainsworth • George Arceneaux • Edward Boyle • Adrian Caillouet • Patrick Carr (Louisiana) • Fred Cassibry • Herbert Christenberry • Robert Collins • James Comiskey • Adrian Duplantier • Frank Ellis • Jack M. Gordon • Okla Jones • Henry Mentz • Lansing Mitchell • Morey Sear • Elmer West • Roger West (Louisiana) • Veronica Wicker • James Wright (Louisiana) • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Edith Clement • Helen Berrigan • Sarah Vance (Louisiana) • Frederick Heebe • A.J. McNamara • Herbert Christenberry • Morey Sear • Elmer West • Nannette Jolivette Brown • | ||
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
