Trina Chu’s view on the seat up for election

In one of the more interesting local races, two very different candidates are vying for Judge Scott Crichton’s vacant seat on Caddo’s First Judicial District Court bench.

The last issue of Forum featured a visit with long time Shreveport attorney Charles Tutt, who shared his reasons for running, his qualifications and experience, and views on what makes a good judge.

A visit with Trina Chu, candidate for the same seat, was an opportunity to learn more about her reason and qualifications for running. Some may recall local attorney John Settle’s advertorial in The Forum (Sept. 3 issue) on Chu’s inspiring story about making her way to the American dream – but our visit centered on her candidacy.

Chu has practiced law for about 14 years, 11 of those years in Louisiana. She’s also admitted to the bar in New York and Massachusetts and has passed the patent bar.

“I’m running for judge because I believe that I can make an excellent judge considering my life experience, my legal experience, my background, my education and because of my background, I can provide the bench with new ideas, new perspective and really change the bench [from] the way it is now. It needs new ideas, new thinking,” Chu said.

Chu said she generally represents “indigent people or people that cannot afford legal representation in court.” Those people, she said, brought to her attention that judges were dismissive of their cases.

“They didn’t get a fair shake in court, maybe because they’re poor, or maybe because I’m not the typical lawyer.

“Because I’m small, I’m petite, and you know, I wasn’t taken seriously. It’s just a lot of feelings of being treated unfairly, without dignity or respect,” Chu said.

On the experience front, Chu said she believes the judges should be fair, deciding cases on the facts in front of them and “not based on whether that the party’s lawyer is a high-paid, high-powered lawyer.

“That’s the kind of experience I’m going to bring to the bench. I’m going to be fair, I’m going to work hard, look at all the facts, look at the case law and then make the decisions based on that. I am not entrenched in the legal community where I’m going to make my decision because I know this person or I’m not going to make the decision because I know the father of one of the parties, or whatever. It’s just strictly interpreting the law, following the law and applying the law and make the decision like that,” she said.

Although she has had some criminal experience, Chu said her practice has been largely in the domestic field, but that would not be an issue because “we’re new judges so the cases that we deal with are all domestic cases and criminal law cases. We don’t deal with civil litigation cases and the trial experience you are looking for. Those are civil litigation and therefore the senior judges.”

“I’ve had some civil litigation [experience], too,” she said.

“Two cases went up to the [state] Supreme Court and I had to file briefs for those Supreme Court cases.”

Chu said qualities that make a good job include being a good listener, patience and flexibility – as well as understanding. And noting that while there are rules concerning issues such as evidence and procedure, Chu said if a lawyer misses a deadline, the judge should be understanding: “If there’s a good reason, you can’t just be dismissive.”

“A good judge should know whether a law is good or bad and to follow it if it’s good and to kind of look at the law if it’s bad and bring it to the attention of the legislature or whatever. If you see social injustice, you should get into it and try to make it more just and fair. I think as a judge, we’re allowed to participate in making social change and making sure justice is administered fairly and properly,” Chu said.

Finally, Chu’s work with both Legal Services and the Pro Bono Project gives her reason to voice concern for what is often a prohibitive cost of the legal system for many people and said she would continue working toward programs that reduce the cost obstacle for those who need to access the system.

Chu is married to Dr. Quyen Chu; they have two children.

Marty Carlson, a freelance writer, has been covering local news for the past 17 years. She can be reached via email at martycarlson1218@ gmail.com.