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Richard Ducote
Richard Ducote (Republican Party) ran for election to the Louisiana House of Representatives to represent District 77. He did not appear on the ballot for the primary on October 14, 2023.
Biography
Ducote was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He obtained a B.S. from Tulane University in 1974, a J.D. from Loyola School of Law in New Orleans in 1978, and an LL.M. from Loyola Chicago School of Law in 2011.[1]
Ducote practiced law for 41 years. He has been a special assistant district attorney in 19 parishes and tried cases in over 50 Louisiana courts and in 46 states. He also worked as the assistant general counsel in the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.[1]
Ducote is licensed to practice law in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, the U.S Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 9th Circuits; the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the Middle District of Louisiana, the Western District of Louisiana, the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Texas, the District of Colorado, the Northern District of Ohio, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.[1]
As of 2019, Ducote was a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the 22nd JDC Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, and the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts.[1]
Elections
2023
See also: Louisiana House of Representatives elections, 2023
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
The primary election was canceled. Mark Wright (R) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Richard Ducote (R)
- Jim Harlan (D)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ducote in this election.
2019
See also: Louisiana Supreme Court special elections, 2019
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
Special general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District
William J. Crain defeated Hans J. Liljeberg in the special general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District on November 16, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | William J. Crain (R) | 57.3 | 127,211 |
 | Hans J. Liljeberg (R) | 42.7 | 94,875 | |
| Total votes: 222,086 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
 = 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. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District
William J. Crain and Hans J. Liljeberg defeated Scott Schlegel and Richard Ducote in the special primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 1st District on October 12, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | William J. Crain (R) | 38.6 | 73,534 |
| ✔ | | Hans J. Liljeberg (R) | 32.5 | 61,859 |
 | Scott Schlegel (R) | 17.5 | 33,242 | |
| Richard Ducote (R) | 11.5 | 21,810 | ||
| Total votes: 190,445 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Richard Ducote did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Richard Ducote completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ducote's responses.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
1) Child abuse and domestic violence prevention and reform, 2) Family Court reform, 3) Return focus to constitutional due process in all cases, 4) First Amendment protections , 5) Protection of right of self-defense, and 6) Strict enforcement and transparency for attorney
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
Intelligence, strong work ethic, integrity, honesty, independence, and transparency.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
To diligently, intelligently, fairly, independently, and accurately interpret the law as written by the legislature; to vigorously enforce the state and federal constitutions; to properly determine if lower court commit legal error in their decisions; and to transparently and uniformly enforce lawyer and judicial discipline;
What legacy would you like to leave?
That all litigants were treated fairly; that I was independent; that I applied the law correctly; that I worked hard; and that the Supreme Court was a better place because I served there for 9 years.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
At 11 years old, I very well remember sitting in my 6th grade classroom at St. Christopher's when the principal came over the loudspeaker and announced that President Kennedy had been shot. November 22, 1963. We, like most Americans, sadly watched every second of coverage through the next several days. We were one of the few families in our neighborhood who had sported Kennedy campaign literature, and so had to painfully endure some taunting. Little did I know what I would see happening in our great nation during the next five years.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
The balance of work and family; the demands of my career greatly intruded into quality time with my family.
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?
Yes, one of the primary duties of the Supreme Court under Rule 10 is to reconcile differences in interpretation of the law expressed by the five circuit courts of appeal. I believe that the Supreme Court has neglected that duty, and, consequently, each circuit often operates as its own legal fiefdom, contrary to the intent of our state constitution.
How would you describe your legal philosophy?
I am a conservative, and and believe the state and federal constituttions should be interpreted in their original meanings. Statutes and codes should be interpreted as written, all in accordance with our civil law system. Due process and the bill of rights must be fervently protected.
Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White.
Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?
Yes. While no case can be decided on the basis on empathy, empathy like all other positive human attributes gives us a richer appreciation of the litigants, especially when motive, malice, and intent are factual questions at issue.
Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?
Not by a bar association, but for over 30 years Martindale-Hubbell has on the basis of confidential surveys of attorneys
What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?
The state and federal constitutions are often trivialized or ignored, particularly regarding due process and First Amendment rights. Also, the family court system often fails to protect victims of child abuse and domestic violence, and the appellate courts often give too much deference to the trial court judges who err in this regard.
How does your state’s supreme court serve as part of the state government’s checks and balances?
As in the federal system, the legislature enacts the laws, the executive branch executes the laws, and the judicial branch interprets the laws. The Supreme Court is the highest state court and, absent federal questions of law, makes the final decisions relative to the decisions of the lower courts. Also, the Supreme Court is responsible for all lawyer and judicial discipline.
Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?
Yes, especially if the ratings extend over a period of time with input from different raters each year.
If you are not a sitting judge, do you have any previous judicial experience? Do you believe it’s important to have that kind of experience for this judgeship?
No. The two longest serving Louisiana Supreme Court Justices in history, Pascal Calogero
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?
Yes, because a judge brings every life experience to the bench, and the more a judge understands about government, politics, engineering, psychology, history, physics, etc., the richer the comprehension of all issues eventually coming before the court.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
Footnotes
