Verity Nichole Gentry was sworn in as 11th Judicial District Judge before a packed courtroom in Many on Tuesday, Sept. 6, shortly after noon. The oath was administered by retired Judge Stephen B. Beasley, who gave up the bench April 1. BDC Radio Personality Tedd W. Dumas served as Master of Ceremonies. Keynote Speaker was State Sen. Louie Bernard of Natchitoches. Third Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Elizabeth A. Pickett of Many spoke and following the swearing in, assisted in the donning of the robe. Other speakers were District Attorney Don Burkett, Sheriff Aaron Mitchell, Many Mayor Robert Hable and Sabine Police Jury leader William Ruffin.
Some 150 persons attended the Ceremonial Swearing In of Verity Gentry as 11th Judicial District Judge, which included law enforcement from the Sabine Sheriff’s Office and Many Police Dept., area District Attorneys, Assistant DAs, attorneys, campaign supporters, longtime friends and several family members.
Police Jury Leader William Ruffin opened the ceremony with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. “Congratulations,” Ruffin remarked to Gentry. “We’re so proud of you and we look forward to seeing you on the bench doing what we know you will, and the key thing is being fair. That’s why you’re in the position that you’re in because the people of this parish know that you will be fair.”
Many Mayor Robert Hable welcomed visitors to Many, thanked the judges attending, and thanked Judge Stephen Beasley for his long service to the parish. “Verity,” the mayor said, “It goes without saying you are going to fill some pretty big shoes.”
The mayor got a lot of laughter when he asked, “Why was I asked to speak today? I have no idea. Then, it finally hit me. I’m a Magistrate! I preside over City Court. And Verity, as I already told you one or two months ago – anytime you want to bounce ideas off one another, I’m available,” he offered as the crowd cheered his joke. He went on to recognize the new judge is the second female judge to have served the 11th Judicial District, the first being Judge Elizabeth Pickett.
Mayor Hable also thanked Gentry for coming home to serve, “You were first in your class in all levels of education. You could have gone anywhere you wanted, but you chose to come back and serve your community. We are very fortunate to have you.”
In her remarks, Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Elizabeth Pickett highlighted Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”
“That is a guideline for all of us in the legal profession,” Pickett said. She recalled in eras past when females did not often hold elected office elsewhere, that in contrast, the local tradition always included female leadership, recalling a longtime Many mayor, Sabine Parish Police Jury members and School Board members who were all female.
“I’ve known Verity her entire life,” Judge Pickett said. “I’ve watched her grow up from a little-bitty smart, enthusiastic, bright girl to the accomplished, smart, capable attorney she is today, and that has truly been an honor. Verity has always been a bright light in the universe. She’s always been a worker. She’s had a lot of courtroom experience all over this state. That’s going to really benefit her as a trial judge. But most importantly, Verity is a person of integrity. Verity is honest. She has an excellent work ethic. She has a lot of energy. …I can assure you she is committed to upholding the constitution and laws of our nation and our state, and I am confident in her ability to fulfill all of her legal and constitutional obligations,” Judge Pickett said.
Sabine Sheriff Aaron Mitchell took the podium next, opening with some successes of his office. “When we’re finished with a case, we pass it on to Don Burkett and it ends up here,” Sheriff Mitchell said. “Since taking office 26 months ago, we’ve confiscated 23.5 lbs. of methamphetamine and over 50 guns. Things are a little better, thefts are down a little, and I know people who have addictions need help, …unfortunately we have to arrest some of those men and women, but please remember we have [a good] momentum going with the drug dealers. Most of the dealers we arrest, with large amounts of drugs – they don’t even use the drugs. They’re just cashing in on our community. We have them running scared now. I hope that we can work together …and keep [that] going,” he said.
Sabine District Attorney Don Burkett highlighted a passage from 1 Kings in which a young Solomon asked God for wisdom when he became King of Israel. Recalling his early start as a DA some forty years ago, Burkett noted, “The first thing anybody in your position or mine needs is wisdom. You can have all the ‘book smarts’ and be intelligent, or you can be not very educated, but above all – in Sabine Parish, we call it ‘common sense’ – you need wisdom,” Burkett said.
“God has placed you on the bench,” Burkett told the new judge. “You will deal with truly evil people as well as those who have just made mistakes. You will face heart-wrenching decisions… Daily you will deal with the ugly side of humanity. Your decisions have to be rooted in wisdom as well as the law. You must protect the rights of the accused, but you must also protect and stand up for the victims just as passionately and strongly. Evil must always be held accountable. I pray that God will give you the wisdom and courage that you need in the days to come. The future of Sabine Parish depends on you.”
The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Sen. Louie Bernard, touched on the Micah scripture as well, saying, “If we can take away any one thing from the Bible and just go with it – one thing to go through life with, that would be it: ‘What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.’” In his remarks, he noted how a judge must let the decisions of the court speak for themselves. “She can’t explain, outside of her official rulings, how or why she set a certain bond amount, or found a person guilty or not guilty, or why she awarded custody of children to a particular parent. It is because of that, the persons we choose as judges must be people we trust, people who have the highest standards of integrity in both their personal and professional lives. …I’ve heard all my life that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The person you have elected to be judge in Sabine Parish was born and raised here, educated here. Her level of energy would make most of us weak. With a contagious personality and a determination to keep her nose to the grindstone, she graduated law school, interned with the Attorney General’s office, always keeping her goals in her immediate vision. So, after all that discipline and study, here in a courtroom in Sabine Parish on Sept. 6, 2022, is where her path has come. With empathy for others, with an integrity beyond reproach and with a trustworthiness that has been earned through the years, Verity Gentry is both able and qualified to be your Judge.”
The Hon. Stephen B. Beasley administered the oath of office, and Judge Elizabeth Pickett assisted in the donning of the robe.
At ceremony’s end, Judge Gentry addressed the crowd, “I stand before you so humbled, so proud and so grateful to you all for being here today,” she said. “Thank you to each person who spoke. You all have been role models and mentors to me my entire life and your leadership in the community – I can’t even put into words what that means to me – to be able to grow up and see you every day in these important jobs. Thank you to Judge Beasley and Judge Pickett for the judicial legacy you have left me. I have no doubt these are big shoes to fill, and I am so thankful to everyone who chose me to be the person to fill them.”
Gentry also thanked Judges Rick Harrington, Bruce Bolin, John Whittaker and Peyton Cunningham for their attendance and mentorship.
She thanked law enforcement in attendance and told them she looks forward to working together with them every day. She also recognized other elected officials and courthouse staff. “You are the ones who make this community move in a way that is smooth and makes sure the law is upheld here. I appreciate you,” Gentry said.
“Adversaries in court, other lawyers that I’ve worked with, thank you for making me a better lawyer and preparing me for this new job,” the Judge said. “I’m here surrounded by people that I love and stakeholders in the community. [Those] who don’t know me, I look forward to winning you over and earning your support. The oath I took today is a huge responsibility… I look forward to coming to work every day, being fair, impartial and doing my job no matter how long it takes and how much work it requires. I appreciate each of you for trusting me with this position,” Gentry concluded.
Afterward, attendees enjoyed a reception of simple refreshments while three Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony students – Javier Villalonga, violin, Ronald Sánchez, viola, and Jesus Peña, cello - provided string music.