J. Reed Walters

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John Reed Walters is a politician and an attorney from Louisiana.

Contents

[edit] Background

He attended Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He was admitted to the Bar in 1981. He is married to Marsheela Walters.

[edit] Political career

In October 1990, he ran as a Democrat for District Attorney of Louisiana's 28th Judicial District, which includes the town of Jena in LaSalle Parish. He was elected to a six-year term against Dan B. Cornett, another Democrat, [1] and took office in early 1991. [2]

Walters won re-election in 1996 and in 2002, against Democratic challenger Lloyd E. Hennigan. [3] He is currently serving his third term, which expires in 2009.

[edit] Jena Six

In 2007, Walters has come under increasing public scrutiny for the way he and his office have handled the aftermath of a series of incidents that occurred on campus at Jena High School. [4] The controversy prompted thousands of protesters from schools across the country to demonstrate in Jena on Thursday September 20, 2007. It has become known as the Jena Six incident. [5] Walters has defended his actions in an op-ed article in the New York Times newspaper.[6]

[edit] Electoral history

District Attorney, 28th Judicial District, 1990

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, October 6, 1990

Candidate Affiliation Support Outcome
Reed Walters Democratic 3,212 (52%) Elected
Dan B. Cornett Democratic 3,018 (48%) Defeated

District Attorney, 28th Judicial District, 1996

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, September 21, 1996

Candidate Affiliation Support Outcome
Reed Walters Democratic 2,667 (51%) Elected
Lloyd Hennigan, Jr. Democratic 2,545 (49%) Defeated

District Attorney, 28th Judicial District, 2002

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, October 5, 2002

Candidate Affiliation Support Outcome
Reed Walters Democratic 2,817 (56%) Elected
Lloyd Hennigan, Jr. Democratic 2,169 (44%) Defeated

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Candidates for Election Date: 10/06/90, District Attorney, 28th Judicial District, Louisiana Secretary of State
  2. ^ John R. Walters, Find Law - Lawyer Directory
  3. ^ Candidates for Election Date: 10/05/02, District Attorney, 28th Judicial District, Louisiana Secretary of State
  4. ^ U.S. attorney: Nooses, beating at Jena High not related, CNN, Jena, Louisiana, September 19, 2007
  5. ^ Thousands Expected to Protest 'Jena Six' Racial Beating Charges, Fox News, Jena, Louisiana, September 20, 2007
  6. ^ Walters, Reed., "Justice in Jena", New York Times, 2007-09-24, Retrieved on 2007-09-26.