Turkey creek mayor election date announced

A new election for Turkey Creek mayor has been set for February 21. Candidates in the election are again incumbant Heather Cloud and Bert Campbell.
Those two candidates ran for the same office in the election for Turkey Creek mayor on November 4. Campbell won that election 110 to 106. However, Cloud contested the outcome of that election in district court here.
Allen Parish Judge Joel Davis was assigned to the court proceeding in the Evangeline Parish Courthouse after the two 13th Circuit judges, J. Larry Vidrine and Thomas Fuselier, recused themselves.
Judge Davis first dismissed Cloud’s case without hearing witnesses’s testimony, then the plaintiff appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court, which remanded the case back to the district court.
When the case was heard again in the Evangeline Parish Courthouse, four witnesses testified they were offered, and accpted, $15 each and given the ballot numbers of several candidates, including Campbell’s. The four witnesses were given immunity from prosecution for their testimony.
Judge Davis again dismissed the case, ruling the district court had no authority to invalidate the election for Turkey Creek mayor on November 4. However, he asserted there was evidence that votes were bought, which he said is a violation of state law.
Cloud again appealed the case, this time to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Lake Charles. That court ruled, on December 3, that the evidence presented in the court in Ville Platte showed that the four votes in contention could be stricken and the election for mayor could be declared a tie, and a new election should be ordered.
On December 8, Judge Davis set the new election date, and ordered that early voting for that election will take place between Feburary 7, and February 14. Judge Davis’ judgment also ordered that defendant Campbell be assessed the cost of the appeal.