A candidate for police chief in the small Louisiana town of Elizabeth is on course to be elected unopposed despite two pending charges of child rape, leaving the community to weigh whether to convert the position into an appointed office rather than one decided at the ballot box.
Christopher Paul, a Republican who on 6 August signed up to run for chief of police in the south-western Louisiana village, was arrested on 8 September on allegations that he raped two girls in 2005 and 2006.
Only rival withdraws
Zachary LaCaze was the only other candidate to qualify for the 3 November election for Elizabeth police chief. However, LaCaze announced his withdrawal on 23 September after learning his candidacy was illicit because he worked for the federal government.
“My full-time job is what provides for my wife and son, and I cannot take that away from them,” LaCaze, who listed no party affiliation, wrote in a social media post. “So, as much as it hurts me, I have to step away from this election.”
LaCaze’s withdrawal came well after the candidate sign-up deadline had passed, meaning Paul would be elected by default while out on $60,000 bail in connection with the allegations made by the sheriff’s office of Allen parish, whose jurisdiction includes Elizabeth.
Eligibility and community response
Only a felony conviction would make Paul, 46, ineligible to take office when the Elizabeth police chief term begins on 1 January. With that date approaching, it was unclear when or how the case against Paul might be resolved.
The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing violence against children, called on Paul to step aside from the election with the case pending, the Louisiana news outlet KPLC reported.
Elizabeth’s mayor, Mandy Leo Green, issued a statement saying that neither her office nor the village governing council “can alter the ballot” for the race despite “concerns regarding the … election”.
“Charges are allegations, not a conviction,” Green said. “The candidate in question has been arrested and charged, but has not been convicted of any crime. Under the law, anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is an important part of our justice system.”
Special election and recall options
Meanwhile, the village’s governing council approved a special 12 December election for voters to determine whether the police chief should be by appointment subject to board approval, documents show. The council’s minutes do not indicate to what extent Paul’s unopposed election motivated that scheduling, and it is unclear when the office would become appointed if voters ratified the change.
Louisiana law also allows voters to recall elected officials. In a community the size of Elizabeth, that would require 40% of qualified voters to sign a recall petition by hand, according to the state agency that administers elections.
Paul, on Saturday, said he had no comment when asked if he would discuss his run for Elizabeth police chief.
