NCJW opposes William Crain. Here’s why:
William Crain has been explicit and public about the fact that his judgement is based on his extreme conservative personal beliefs rather than on an impartial understanding of the case before him and the law. He ran a highly partisan campaign for election to the Louisiana Supreme Court, and his record on the bench showed him to be an extreme ideologue rather than a fair and independent judge.
William Crain’s stance on important issues:
Abortion Rights
In June Medical Services, LLC v. Landry, as a justice on the state Supreme Court, Justice Crain dissented from the Louisiana Supreme Court’s temporary injunction protecting abortion providers, advocating for further review to allow restrictive state “trigger” laws to take effect. His dissent declared that “terminating alleged life during the period of the temporary restraining order was irreparable.” During his campaign for the Supreme Court, Crain touted himself as the most anti-abortion candidate in the race.
Social Justice
On the state Supreme Court, Crain often dissented on criminal justice cases, opposing a just and fair process for defendants that prioritized punishment over fairness. In remarks at a Tribute to Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, he stated that, “elected officials whose oaths are to support and defend the Constitution and laws of this country speak of “social justice” to mask lawless decisions, while many people without connection or devotion to our country are allowed to enter and remain without the slightest effort to follow and honor the very laws governing such conduct.”
Education and Career Highlights:
William Crain has a BA in Accounting from Louisiana State University and earned his JD in 1986 from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center. He worked in private legal practice until 2009 when he was elected to the bench as a judge of the 22nd Judicial District Court, serving until 2012. He was then elected to the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal, where he served from 2013 to 2019. In 2019, Crain was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court.