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.