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Sylvia Cooks
Sylvia R. Cooks (Democratic Party) was a judge for the 3rd District of the Louisiana 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal. She assumed office in 1992. She left office on December 31, 2022.
Cooks was first elected to fill a newly created position on the court.[1] Her current term expires on December 31, 2022.[2]
Education
Cooks received both her undergraduate degree and J.D. from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.[1]
Career
Before her elevation to the bench in 1992, Cooks worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District. She also served as general counsel for Louisiana Takes A Stand.[1]
Elections
2022
Sylvia Cooks did not file to run for re-election.
2012
Cooks was re-elected after running unopposed in 2012. [3]
- See also: Louisiana judicial elections, 2012
Noteworthy cases
- $127,000 in Fees Is Voided for Former Prison Journalist
LAKE CHARLES, La., Nov. 5 (AP) — A former prison journalist does not have to pay the $127,000 in court costs that a state district judge assessed him last year, the state’s Third Circuit Court of Appeal ruled on Friday.
The district judge, David A. Ritchie, lacked the legal standing to seek the recovery of some of the money, Judge Sylvia R. Cooks wrote in the appeals court decision. Also, because Louisiana law requires parishes to pay court expenses, Judge Ritchie had no authority to seek payment of court costs, Judge Cooks wrote...[4]
- Louisiana Court of Appeals Rules for Homeowners on Causation Issues
Mark Landry and Barbara Landry v. Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance company, No, 07-247. (August 30, 2007) The opinion, authored by Judge Sylvia R.Cooks affirmed that Louisiana's Valued Policy Law (VPL), which allows homeowners whose homes were a total loss as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, could recover the full value of their homes if the loss was caused by a covered peril in their homeowners policies. The insurance industry had sought court approval of their practice of not allowing the full value to be paid to the homeowners, if a portion of the loss was caused by an uncovered condition such as flood. The decision rejected two previous decisions by Louisiana Federal courts allowing insurance companies to not pay the portion of the home's values. The ruling is an authoritative and binding interpretation of Louisiana Law by a Louisiana Appellate Court. The appeal was from the Fifteenth Judicial District Court in the Parish of Vermillion. The significance of this decision is that the Court rendered key interpretations and affirmations of long-standing Louisiana law which favors homeowners, thwarting an attempt by the insurance industry to avoid paying out claims for homes that were a total loss as a result the hurricanes.[5]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Intelius People Search Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "bio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ See: Judicial selection in Louisiana
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, Candidate Database
- ↑ New York Times,"$127,000 in Fees Is Voided for Former Prison Journalist," November 6, 2006
- ↑ Anderson, Kill, and Olick News, "Louisiana Court of Appeals Rules for Homeowners on Causation Issues," September 4, 2007
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