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Skipper accuses judge of improprieties
Published Friday, August 22, 2008
VIDALIA — Convicted felon James Skipper has alleged that Judge Kathy Johnson gave him legal advice, but Johnson denies the claims.
The allegations came out during a hearing before Seventh Judicial Court Division B Judge Leo Boothe Aug. 13, in which Boothe ultimately granted a motion to reduce Skipper’s 25-year jail sentence to 12 years with credit for time served.
Johnson said she believes the allegations being brought at this time are an obvious attempt to sabotage her bid for re-election.
“I have never told (Skipper) to file or do anything,” she said.
During the recent hearing, the transcripts of three phone conversations from mid-2006 were entered as evidence. In one of the transcripts, Skipper and his nephew Justin Conner try to contact Johnson, and in another they discuss talking with her.
Only in one of the transcripts does the pair allegedly contact Johnson, who they refer to as “Little Bird” in the conversation. Most of the statements made by the caller alleged to be Johnson are stated to be inaudible in the transcript.
Johnson said Conner had at that time asked her for advice on how to file divorce papers, and she told him he could come by her office and look at the book of legal templates. She said when Conner called her, she assumed it was to ask to look at the book.
“I get on the phone and he says to hold on, and the next thing I know I am on the phone with this person who was not Mr. Conner,” Johnson said.
Johnson admitted she listened to Skipper talk about his case, but adamantly denied giving him any advice.
“I should have just hung up the phone,” she said.
Johnson said she questioned the legal validity of the transcripts, which reportedly stemmed from an investigation into the 2005 Ferriday voter fraud scandal.
“The transcript wasn’t certified by anybody,” she said.
The transcripts do not bear any official certificate or stamp attesting to its authenticity.
Johnson also wanted to know why neither she nor Conner was asked to testify on the stand in the matter.
If the allegations are deemed to be an act of judicial impropriety and any action is to be taken, the state Supreme Court’s Judiciary Committee will do it.
Supreme Court Public Information Officer Valerie Willard said she could not discuss the matter and could neither confirm nor deny if the court would look into the matter.
Skipper was convicted on a cocaine charge in 2002. He was initially sentenced to 80 years jail, which was eventually reduced to 25.
He was later named as a suspect in the voter fraud scandal, but was never prosecuted.
During his incarceration, he filed lawsuits naming several parish officials — including Boothe — as alleged conspirators in a 2003 release agreement in which he would have rallied the support of black citizens for certain candidates. At the time he filed the lawsuit, Skipper said those he named had reneged on their end of the alleged bargain and he was back in prison.
Skipper later indicated in a letter to the court the grounds of suit were not true.
Boothe refused a similar motion for a sentence reduction in 2007.
“I don’t think Mr. Skipper has any credibility,” Johnson said. “First he was calling District Attorney John Johnson a liar, and calling the sheriff a liar and calling Judge Booth a liar. Now he is calling me a liar.”
Johnson said that she does not believe the allegations will hurt her election campaign.
“I think most of the voters can see through this smokescreen,” she said.
Boothe declined to comment on the matter at the time of the hearing.
Comments
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 12:22 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by dixiebelle (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 4:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Johnson has never done anything good for this parish. She's let countless drug dealers walk out of her courtroom with nothing but a slap on the hand & a fine. She cares nothing about cleaning up this parish's drug problem. She'll NEVER have my vote.
Posted by NatchezBell (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 5:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The truth to people being liar's is a fact. Every Attorney I've ever consulted on anything at all...says to lie! And that they would. But I told them, "I am not lying on the stand!! for nobody!!"
There're a lot of Great Attorney's though; not all will tell you too lie I'd hope.
Pray for Politics...Amen
Posted by sidney (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 6:09 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 6:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
rut-ro
Posted by harvest1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Anything concerning Justin Conner is stinky.
Posted by charliebug5865 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i totally agree sayitloud!
Posted by momof1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like the high and mighty "lady bird" may just fall off of her pedestal. Of course she's gonna say this is "politics" and people are trying to sabotage her campaign. That's a convenient response for her. But it's about time she was exposed. With her it's all about who you know.
She's been the one passing judgement for too many years. It's time for her own judgement.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm sorry but I think judges can be bought or swayed.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sidney...Skipper wrote a letter of apology to the ones he had filed the lawsuit against and told them he wanted to retract his statements from what I understand.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And he'll say ANYTHING he thinks will better his cause. That being said, I still think some of the smoke might actually be for real...JMHO. She certainly has been a lienient judge and has let many a person out on low bail and light sentences.
Posted by popeye3 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 11:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Democrat reports on this Skipper guy like he is a celebrity. This guy is trash. I assume that there are a lot of crooked judges out there, but I have never dealt with Judge Johnson. It seems to me that these accusations should have to come from someone more credible that James Skipper to even call for an investigation. They ought to investigate judge Boothe because ain't he the one that just shortened Skipper's sentence.
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
popeye3 sounds like you might be hitting on something but johnson is wrong wrong wrong to do what she did i think maybe boothe saw the truth and reduced that sentence lets wait and see if this was in mississippi well you know look what happened to bink
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
antchez: you are quite correct...if she has nothing to hide she has nothing to worry about....BUT, if she did, it's good that she is being investigated. Let the truth be heard.
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
shoud have been "natchez"...my error.
Posted by blondiefromjville (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the other ones are just trying to hurt Cathy . I will forever be greatful she has been Judge. She has done alot for for catahoula .It's the drugheads and thiefs that don't want her in there,they afraid she might step on some toes.This household is ALL THE WAY WITH CATHY JOHNSON. gooooo CATHY WE LOVE YOU GIRL DON'T LET THE OTHER SIDE BRING YOU DOWN.
Posted by momof1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 2:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is usually a rat that rats out the bigger rat.
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you want to read in the entire Phone conversation transcripts, the hearing transcript for the 13th, and the letter Skipper wrote Boothe, and the case file he filed against Boothe, go to:
www.theconcordiaunderground.org
In one of the phone transcripts it is talked about how $7K had to be taken to Boothe's house out of $300K. Hmmmm
Posted by noneya (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That doesn't mean Boothe took it or even knew about it, jammin1. Just remember how twisted and wishy-washy both Skipper AND Conners are. I don't believe anything either way what either one of them says....that's why I'm glad there's an investigation. The truth will come out. Don't hang anyone's good rep. just yet.
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I read the whole bunch that is on there about skipper and what I saw was the Da leading that guy with the questions to get the answers he wanted. I saw NOTHING that said Kathy Johnson said anything about what to do about anything. The transcript of the call supposedly with her was as out of focas as a picture of a UFO or Big Foot. read it for yourselves before you all start to gather the rope to hang K J. Best of all read the letter that Skipper wrote Boothe last year. There is more in it about Randy Maxwell helping Skipper and not a word about KJ. But Skipper sure seemed to tell Boothe just how to legally reduce the sentence. Hmmmm
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
noneya, my friend you really need to read that stuff. Good, Bad, or just plain Ugly, it has been entered into the court as evidence now. Under oath!
Posted by FatCatRiverRat (anonymous) on August 22, 2008 at 7:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have never been a huge fan of Kathy Johnson, but this whole ordeal was orchestrated like a puppet show. John Johnson argues a case for the first time in years, meets with the defendant for hours in his office, leads the defendant in his testimony..and once again Skipper is the center of Concordia Parish politics at election time. If you cannot see that there is MUCH more to this than Boothe/Johnson are revealing, then...well, keep your head in the sand....our parish (and our state for that matter) will never rise above the dirty, filthy politics that have made us LAST in the nation for everything that is good and first for everything embarrassing and negative.
Posted by texas2steppr (anonymous) on August 23, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
James Skipper was a low life from the cradle and will be one in the grave. I wouldn't believe him if he sneezed. In the nucleus of this storm that he helped to create you will find yet another lie.
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