Morris Reed wants to be judge of Civil District Court – Section J because he says “New Orleans needs someone who can try cases without being trained.”
Reed’s legal career spans four decades. “If the public wants an experienced judge who can resolve cases, that’s me.”
Reed is a graduate of both the National and the Louisiana Judicial College, which offers mandatory training for judges.
Reed envisions a citizen-friendly court. His goals for the court include developing a system where the impoverished are not excluded because of the lack of resources and he would modernize the physical facility and educate the public about the civil courts.
“I would set up a mentoring program for the community through churches, schools, and colleges to encourage African-Americans to participate in the jury process. If we are going to change the justice system in America, African-Americans and all races must do jury service. When you see injustice being done in the courtroom, you have to ask yourself, ‘Had I been there, what would my verdict have been?’ ”
Morris Reed has served as a criminal court and traffic court judge and is a former federal and state prosecutor. Reed headed up the Civil Rights Unit for the U.S. Attorney Office, Eastern District of Louisiana and he is a former NOPD officer.
He was the first director of the city’s Office of Municipal Investigations.
“The office was set up by Ernest “Dutch” Morial to curb police violence and police brutality in the city,” he says.
As a criminal court judge, he created Judge Morris Reed’s Junior Judges Program, Inc., a program designed to deter youth from criminal activity.
“We received national recognition for the program,” Reed says.