East Side Water case will be going to trial in June

Two months after its last appearance before Judge Gary Ortego, Randel Brown’s suit against East Side Water System Inc. once again made it’s way into an Evangeline Parish courtroom on Tuesday.
During the hearing that took place in February of 2016, Judge Ortego addressed issues concerning failure on the defendant’s part to provide documents that the court had previously requested.
The defendant in this case is the East Side Water System’s board, who is being represented by attorney Jacob Fusilier.
Brown, who is being represented by attorney Jonathan Vidrine, first decided to bring a suit against the private corporation after the water company’s board of seven voted to increase the voter turnout required to validate an election.
In August of 2015, the judge ordered Fusilier and his client to turnover the minutes from each board meeting that was held by East Side Water’s board in the years 2013, 2014, and 2015.
After not receiving the minutes from the meetings where the required voter turnout was changed from 10 percent to 50 pct., Judge Ortego, at the February 2016 hearing, gave Fusilier and his client one more chance to have all the necessary documents turned-in to the court by March 1, 2016 at no later than 1:00 p.m.
When both parties arrived in court on Tuesday, Vidrine, and the defense’s council informed the judge that their clients stand ready for trial.
This matter is set to be heard by Judge Ortego on June 17, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., in Evangeline Parish’s Division A courtroom.
The judge said, “On the 17th day of June, we are going to try this matter, and the court will make a decision.”
A jury will not decide the fate of this case. Instead, in matters such as these, the court’s decision will come from the judge.
Following the Tuesday hearing, Fusilier said, “I believe we will be able to do everything for this matter in one day, and that will be on the June court date. After that, everyone will be able to move on from this.”