Cloyd Benjamin, Jr. Outlines Vision for Partnership, Prevention and Accountability in Campaign for Ward 1 City Court Judge

Natchitoches, Louisiana — NATCHITOCHES, La. Candidate for Ward 1 City Court Judge Cloyd Benjamin, Jr., is outlining a vision for the court centered on public safety, accountability, prevention, second chances and strong community partnerships. Benjamin shared key elements of his campaign platform during the Candidate Forum hosted by The Bounce on Thursday, August 13, emphasizing that the City Court can play an important role in strengthening the community while remaining fair, impartial and accountable.

“My vision is not for the court to work in isolation,” Benjamin said. “We have law enforcement, schools, churches, nonprofit organizations, community leaders and other justice system partners already working to make our community stronger. As Judge, I want to support partnerships that connect people with resources, address problems earlier and create better outcomes for our entire community.”

Benjamin’s vision includes working collaboratively with appropriate justice system and community partners to advance several initiatives:

• Youth/Teen Court Partnerships: Support collaborative efforts to establish a youth or teen court for appropriate low-level offenses, providing young people with accountability and intervention while helping prevent unnecessary involvement in the traditional court system.
• Twice-Yearly Expungement Clinics: Partner with legal professionals, justice system stakeholders, and community organizations to connect eligible individuals with assistance in clearing qualifying minor offenses that may create barriers to employment and economic opportunity.
• Warrant & Case Resolution Day: Work with appropriate justice partners to establish designated opportunities for individuals with eligible outstanding warrants, traffic matters, and nonviolent cases to appear and address unresolved matters in an organized setting.
• Gun Buyback Partnerships: Support community-based gun buyback initiatives led in partnership with law enforcement and other organizations as part of broader efforts to reduce unwanted firearms in the community and promote safer neighborhoods.
• School Conflict Resolution: Encourage partnerships among schools, families, community organizations, and justice stakeholders to address appropriate minor conflicts early and help keep young people from unnecessarily entering the juvenile justice system.

Benjamin also emphasized that repeat violent offenses require accountability and that prevention and second-chance initiatives should complement, not replace, the court’s responsibility to follow the law. “We can be serious about public safety while also being serious about prevention,” Benjamin said.

Central to Benjamin’s platform is the belief that sustainable programs require partnership. His vision calls for bringing together organizations with the expertise, authority and resources to develop programs that are legally appropriate, community-driven and capable of producing measurable results.

“Being Judge is about more than what happens inside the courtroom,” Benjamin said. “It is also about leadership, collaboration and helping create pathways that make our community safer and stronger. I am prepared to bring people to the table and work together toward solutions.”

Benjamin is seeking election as Ward 1 City Court Judge and will continue sharing his vision for a court focused on fairness, accountability, collaboration and community impact throughout the campaign.

Paid for by the Benjamin 4 The Bench Campaign