Republican Lindon "Lindy" Bennett Magee beat independent Jasper Brock Tuesday for an open seat on the 21st Judicial District Court bench.
Magee outgained Brock more than 2-to-1 in the vote tally, according to complete but unofficial results. She got 72% of votes.
Judge Brenda Bedsole Ricks is stepping down from the Division E seat after 30 years.
The district judgeship has a six-year term and handles cases in Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes but is expected to hear only misdemeanor, traffic and juvenile cases for at least the next three years. It could have a full docket in later years.
The race pitted two lawyers with a mix of criminal defense and prosecutorial experience but a sizeable difference in years in the legal profession.Β
Magee, 35, has handled the family law division at a Hammond law firm, operated her own practice, worked as a staff attorney in the 21st Judicial District in St. Helena and also served as a public defender for juveniles.
Magee has said her interest in running for a judgeship stemmed from a desire to help people and from her commitment to fairness.Β
In 2024, Magee also ran for the then-newly created Division L seat but lost to Matthew Belser.
Magee is a Ponchatoula native who now lives in Loranger with her husband and two children.
Brock, 66, has spent much of his career as a criminal defense attorney in Livingston Parish but has worked for years as a public defender and the city prosecutor for the town of Livingston.
The U.S. Navy veteran said he decided to run for the seat because he was concerned that his opponent did not have enough experience to serve as a judge and deal with "people's freedom and their lives and their money.β