VIDALIA — Incumbent Judge Kathy Johnson wants to expand the district court’s role in juvenile justice while challenger John Reeves wants to change the direction of the court.

Johnson and Reeves are vying for election to the Seventh Judicial District Court’s Division A seat.

Johnson said one of her biggest goals for the next four years is to try to start an adult drug court similar to those in other rural areas, and that she would like to add assistance and mentoring programs to the juvenile justice system.

“I want to try to keep these juveniles from dropping out of school or being expelled,” she said. “A lot of them have some grief issues over losing someone, and they act out through anger.”

Reeves, however, said before he could set any goals he would have to take a general assessment of the judicial offices and confer with the other judge about how to approach the criminal court funds.

One goal he is eyeing, however, is the possibility of having a juvenile detention facility for Catahoula and Concordia Parish, Reeves said.

He also said he would like to add the voluntary position of court-appointed special assistant to review child support and custody cases.

“They give an outsider’s view of the case for child support,” Reeves said.

Another thing Reeves said he would reevaluate would be the drug court system.

But that is a program Johnson said she would want to keep.

“You take an 18-year-old caught with cocaine, which he shouldn’t have had and maybe he should spend some time in jail, but my job as a judge is to see someone rehabilitated,” Johnson said.

“A lot of people hear ‘drug court,’ and they think, ‘oh, that’s liberal,’ but really it’s like an intense probation program,” she said.

When someone enters drug court, they have to see a probation officer once a week, pass a drug screen and keep a curfew, whereas under a normal probation they would only have to check in with their probation officer once a month.

One thing Reeves said he would change for sure, however, was when court begins.

“I would be a little more timely when we start court,” he said. “If it says we are going to start at 9:30 a.m., then we will start at 9:30 a.m. Some issues judges like to resolve with the attorneys in chambers, but sometimes those issues can’t be resolved in chambers and need to be heard (in court).”

Johnson said changing the docket with the District Attorney’s office is a big priority for her.

“I want to have a separate misdemeanor court from the felony docket,” she said.

“I would like to start doing a night court for people charged with misdemeanors. That way, people who are charged with a misdemeanor crime don’t have to sit there all day while we work through the felony docket.

“People just sit there all day, and some of them jeopardize their jobs by sitting there all day.”

Likewise, Johnson said she would like to have all felony arraignments done once a month, with those currently incarcerated placed first on the docket, followed by those out on bond, with motions related to the cases argued in the afternoons.

Reeves said he might place a laptop computer on the bench so he could easily access cases and to aid himself in scheduling.

He also said he was open to hearing ideas from the public on how to streamline court operations.

“I don’t have to adopt the suggestion straight up, but I can certainly look at it and evaluate if it is a good idea,” Reeves said.

No matter what changes come down the pipe, however, in the end the job is about administering justice.

“I will be very firm but fair,” Reeves said. “There won’t be any slaps on the wrist and let them walk.”

Johnson said she feels she has a proven record.

“I work five days a week and am available to the public,” she said. “I am fair and impartial, and I have implemented programs to help juveniles and I will continue to help juveniles.”