Bernette Johnson was the only legitimate choice for Louisiana
chief justice: Jarvis DeBerry  Email the author | Follow on
Twitter on October 17, 2012 at 12:00 PM, updated October 17,
2012 at 12:01 PM  The facts didn't change. Bernette Johnson was
always the only legitimate candidate to take the chief justice
seat when Kitty Kimball retires from the Louisiana Supreme Court
in January.  To figure out who the chief justice is, you've only
got to answer one question: Who's been there the longest?
bernettejohnsonjeffreyvictory.jpg Louisiana Supreme Court
Justices Bernette Johnson of New Orleans and Jeffrey Victory of
Shreveport.  That answer, Bernette Johnson, was clear when
Kimball announced her retirement.  And it remained clear the
whole time the rest of the court was embarrassing itself with
promises that it was going to huddle and figure out the answer.
Johnson had been there longer than next-in-line Jeffery Victory.
He was making the offensive argument that her first years on the
bench didn't count, that un