A profile of two candidates beginning their campaign

Following Bossier Parish Clerk of Court Cindy Johnson’s announcement that she will not seek re-election this fall, it did not take long for candidates to appear for the job. At the time of press, two candidates are actively campaigning. Jill Sessions was appointed as the Bossier Parish Clerk’s chief deputy, and Monica Hudson is the Bossier Parish District Attorney’s Victims Advocate.

The Clerk of Court’s Office isn’t regularly visited by the general public. Reasons for those visits include marriage licenses, applying for protective orders or researching property. Most frequent users/visitors are attorneys or their staff members and abstractors or landmen.

That circumstance makes it a little more work for voters to determine just who is the best candidate. So here’s a head start on that process with a preview of the candidates to date and what they advocate for the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court’s office.

Sessions, who has eight years experience in the clerk’s office and 12 years in the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office civil department, detailed an extensive list of the clerk’s responsibilities, which include but aren’t limited to the filing of all civil suits, handling all elections, serving on the jury commission, and serving as the court’s administrative arm for jury trials.

Sessions also explained the clerk draws up the jury pool, greets potential jury members as they sign in and shows the video on jury service. The other side of the clerk’s responsibility during jury trials includes swearing in witnesses, taking the trial minutes and safekeeping of all evidence admitted at trial.

In addition to all the civil and criminal responsibilities of the clerk’s office, Sessions said serving as chief elections officer for the parish is a major responsibility. The clerk’s office handles ensuring that each precinct has the requisite number of commissioners to serve voters, validates the votes at the time of an election and qualifies election results.

Sessions said her experience in the office best qualifies her to manage a staff of 37 deputy clerks as clerk of court. And she was emphatic about the need for the next clerk to be well acquainted with the various aspects of the clerk’s duties.

Sessions also said while the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court’s office could benefit from some enhancements and adjustments, it’s still one of the best in the state.

Hudson’s experience is more varied than that of her opponent. She worked in the clerk’s office from 1982-90, then worked for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in records management for three years. Hudson has also worked as a legal secretary and paralegal. She’s spent the past 15 years working for the Bossier-Webster District Attorney’s office, and for the last 12 years she’s served as the office’s victims advocate.

Hudson also has a lengthy civic résumé; past work includes service as the YWCA president and as member of the Caddo-Bossier Domestic Violence Task Force. She has also active in her church.

And she has prepared to make a number of changes in the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court’s Office, citing concerns expressed by abstractors and other users of the office.

Sessions said she would like to bring e-filing to the clerk’s office, as well as issuing birth certificate copies – and she’s looking at the possibility of working with the passport application process. Enhancing the office’s technology is also a Sessions’ goal.

Hudson said she would visit the offices of other clerk’s around the state to bring back best practices and technology improvements to the Bossier office. If elected clerk, Hudson said her office would accept debit and credit cards (currently not accepted) for fees and costs. She also called for better methods to preserve the original records in the care of the clerk’s office and said she was reviewing costs associated with a satellite office in Bossier.

That’s the preview, but over the next few months these candidates and perhaps others will polish their talking points and courting voters. Voters will want to ask questions and find out how much each candidate knows about the work and responsibilities of the clerk of court – preferably before casting a vote.

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.