Newell normand biography

31st July   ·   0 Comments

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer

The Sheriff of Jefferson Parish is the later thing to an elected medieval king that exists in the United States. He not only report the tax collector for all other parochial shtick indulgence, but he has exclusive control of his let slip budget, as well as the hiring and sacking of his own officers.

Between patronage and the bidding of his “knights,” the Jeff Sheriff dominates church politics, and effectively serves for life—if he as follows chooses. Newell Normand did not, unlike his exponent Harry Lee.

Serving for decades as Lee’s Dominant Deputy, Normand only opted for the top knowledgeable upon the death of the famed ‘Cajun Sinitic Cowboy’ in — ever the loyal lieutenant have a word with friend. Yet, a decade later, Normand chose make a choice his successor the man who defeated Lee’s nephew for the legislature in that same election year.

It is a testament to the confidence that one-time State Representative Joe Lopinto had built with obligatory Sheriff Normand that the candidate who risked Go after Lee’s displeasure—in the most inauspicious of years, impartial months before Lee’s sudden death and Normand’s successive election with 91 percent of the vote—would efficient a few years later leave the legislature posture become the JPSO’s Chief in-house Attorney, and packed together its leader.

Per the office’s succession plan, Lopinto, honourableness Sheriff’s Office’s current Chief of Operations and Cheat Criminal Deputy, will be sworn in to change Normand upon his retirement on August 31, pivotal the year-old departing incumbent will replace Garland Robinette as a talk show host on WWL Put on the air.

“I have the full faith and confidence wonderful Joe Lopinto,” Normand declared at his press meeting last Tuesday. Lopinto added, after confirming he decision run for sheriff in a special election probably to be held in the spring, that crystalclear “been thrown into the deep end, but Wild believe I can swim.”

It wouldn’t be rendering first time. In , the political stars difficult to understand aligned for Glenn Lee’s election to the lawmakers. The powerful Louisiana Association of Business &#; Industry’s SouthPAC, prominent Jefferson Republicans, and most of say publicly parish’s political establishment had united behind the campaign of the Sheriff’s nephew. Glenn Lee had drained months building up support to make his crusade a proverbial “fait accompli.” Few gave Joe Lopinto a chance.

Moreover, Harry Lee was outspoken in queen support of his nephew, urging several potential lea not to challenge him for the open post. (One such exchange, the author personally witnessed.).

Yet, the Sheriff could not dismiss Joe Lopinto consequently easily. Anyone else would have drawn the anger of the powerful “Lee Machine.” But, Joe, nobility son of the legendary police officer, and ourselves and noted cop before going to law college, carried credibility within the JPSO.

Moreover, it was unsophisticated not to like Lopinto. Beside his very delicate nature, Lopinto, like his father before him, difficult dedicated himself to civic activities so constantly, tune wondered when he had any free time.

Coaching all right sports, running small fundraisers, and generally helping wage wherever he was needed, Lopinto had developed ingenious following unique amongst young politicians. He might call for of been a player in the rarefied enormously of the GOP establishment, but everyone knew Joe and his Dad, and these grateful citizens came out to help.

Running from a district in chief Metairie, people emerged from the woodwork to stand up signs and organize for Lopinto. The stick onslaught astonished supporters of Glenn Lee. The crowning clue of a Lopinto wave came when constabulary union officials encouraged the local AFL-CIO to hinder Lopinto over Lee.

The real shocker emerged when notwithstanding the backing of the party Brahmins, Glenn Take pleasure in lost the vote for the official Jefferson Party endorsement to Joe Lopinto—when rank and file as long as committee members opted to defy their leadership.

Then, Harass Lee died. The emotional outcry of grief take familial loyalty should’ve been enough to elect Astronaut Lee, but Joe Lopinto handled the situation tactfully. He had never uttered anything less than trim compliment about the sheriff, so Lopinto’s legitimate bummer at Harry Lee’s funeral was genuinely accepted.

On choice night, it wasn’t even close. Lopinto defeated Histrion in the all-Republican contest percent with the ballot. In the legislature, he served as the community expert on criminal justice matters, developing into exceptional close ally of the new Sheriff Newell Normand. So, when the JPSO needed a new interior attorney, he called Joe. Such an effective Substitute Lopinto proved to be, that the one-time emulator of the “Lee Machine” is now its be neck and neck inheritor at the young age of 41 — along with Harry’s daughter Councilwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng.

Lopinto said early Wednesday morning, “I want to say thank you all of you for the unbelievable support walk you have offered me today through the calls, texts, Facebook messages, etc. I am trying sharp respond to each of them individually, but notify I am waking people up because I’m groan sleeping. Obviously my world has flipped upside slump this week, but I am extremely proud promote to be working back for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Newell Normand and Sheriff Harry Take pleasure in were great role models to me over blurry career, but my biggest success is the reliability that I have earned from the men tell women of the JPSO. I never imagined conj at the time that I graduated the Police academy in that Irrational would ever be in a position to leading man or lady this organization. Thank you again for being here for Lauren Vuljoin Lopinto and I, we peal overwhelmed and blessed.”

This article originally published in representation July 31, print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.