Ervin-Knott unseats incumbent in Civil District Court race

NEW ORLEANS – After nearly two decades behind the bench of the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, Division D Judge Lloyd Medley has lost his seat.

Attorney Nakisha Ervin-Knott on Tuesday handily defeated Medley, who was first elected to the court in 1996 and reelected in 2002 and 2008.

Ervin-Knott, who lost a judicial bid in 2011, received 58 percent of the vote in comparison to Medley’s 42 percent of the 99,542 votes cast.

Part of her success may have come from a poll the New Orleans Bar Association released in the weeks leading up to the election, showing that New Orleans’ legal community overwhelmingly preferred her over Medley.

Following the certification of the election results, Errvin-Knott said in a statement, “Words cannot express just how very honored I am to the people of the community to have been chosen to preside over Division ‘D’ of Civil District Court. I am not only honored, but humbled by the tremendous amount of support and votes of confidence in my candidacy."

During the campaign, Ervin-Knott insinuated that Medley ran an inefficient and slow court, spurring promises of judicial efficiency if she were elected.

In a nod to that, she said in her release,“I look forward to working with the entire legal community in running an efficient and current docket."

"I am committed to making all of you proud of my service and contributions to the judiciary," she added.

Ervin-Knott --who is on the Council of Directors for trial lawyer group Louisiana Association for Justice, as well as several other organizations -- was only one of two challengers who ran against the 12 incumbent judges this year in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court.

The other race pitted challenger Ruth Ramsey against Judge Chris Bruno, who has been on the court since first being elected in 2008. Bruno won that contest with 56 percent of the vote while Ramsey received 44 percent.