Rae Swent
Judge F. Rae Swent was a judge of the Louisiana 9th Judicial District Court. She was first elected to that court in 1990 and completed her third term in 2008. Swent did not to seek re-election for a fourth term in favor of retirement.[1]
Associations and awards
- Swent serves on the Permanent Review Board of the Diocese of Alexandria.[2]
In the News: Articles
Swent Creates Truancy Court (1998)
In 1998, Swent (then acting as the 9th District's Juvenile Court Judge,) was responsible for creating a Truancy Court as a concentrated attack on truancy among "at-risk" 6th, 7th and 8th-graders in violation of the state's minimum school attendance law. Under the law, if a student accrued more than 16 unexcused absences, they would be mandated to repeat the school year without exception. Swent's innovation was to begin sending letters requesting court appearances to parents of students with 10 or more absences. Parents then had the option to sign a FINS (Family in Need of Services) Agreement promising no more unexcused absences, or scheduling a court date to formally argue their case before her in court. Swent said her goal with the Truancy Court changes was to target early signs of delinquency. "The only thing worse than a child out of school with idle time on his hands is two children out of school together," Swent was quoted as saying. "The things children can cook up together astonish me."[3]
"Battered Women's Clemency Project"
Judge Swent was reported as lobbying efforts to reduce prison sentences for battered women who were convicted of committing violent crimes against family members as a member of the Battered Women's Clemency Project.[4]
Footnotes
