Bruce M. Bolin
Encyclopedia
Bruce Martin Bolin is a current Louisiana
state district court judge
who was a Democratic
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1979 to 1990. Bolin holds court in the 26th Judicial District (Division E) based in Benton
, the seat of Bossier Parish. He is a native of Minden
, the seat of neighboring Webster Parish.
Bolin was born to James E. Bolin, Sr.
(1914–2002) and the former Mary Eloise Martin (1913–2007). He was reared in Minden and graduated in 1968 from Minden High School
, where he was a basketball
manager and golf
er. Bolin procured his legal credentials from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge. His brother, James E. Bolin, Jr. (born 1941), is a practicing attorney
in Shreveport
. He also has two sisters, Beth Bolin Falk and Becky Bolin Maupin.
Bolin practiced law and served on the indigent defender board in Minden. On November 7, 1978, he ran in the special election for the District 10 seat in the Louisiana House vacated by R. Harmon Drew, Sr.
Drew, a former Minden city judge, was again elected to that post in the September 16 jungle primary
and had therefore resigned his House seat. Bolin led the balloting over three opponents, including Achillea Gust "Ike" Kirkikis (1926–2004), a Greek American
businessman from Minden who also served for four terms on the Webster Parish Police Jury, the parish governing council; outgoing Minden Mayor Jacob E. "Pat" Patterson, and private forester
William H. "Bill" Zachry, Jr. (born June 10, 1943), the most politically conservative of the four candidates. Bolin led the field, with 5,580 votes (47.2 percent) to Kirkikis's 2,789 (23.6 percent), Patterson's 2,687 (22.7 percent), and Zachry's 773 (6.5 percent). Patterson's son, Ricky Patterson (1951–1978), was shot to death on November 6, election-eve.
In the runoff held on December 16, Bolin prevailed, 2,698 (59.5 percent) to Kirkikis' 1,833 (40.5 percent). He hence took office on January 1, 1979, for the fifteen months remaining in Drew's unexpired term.
Bolin's father had held the same House seat from 1940-1944. Bolin served as representative for nearly a dozen years; he was unopposed for his last term in 1987. He resigned late in 1990, when he was elected to the state district judgeship. The senior Bolin had held that post too—from 1952-1960.
Bolin was elected to full terms later in 1979, 1983, and in 1987, when he was unopposed for the third full term which he did not complete.
The House seat temporarily reverted to a Republican
, Eugene Eason of Springhill
in northern Webster Parish, who filled the remaining months of Bolin's term. Eason was promptly retired in the general election
held on November 16, 1991 by another Democrat, educator Everett Doerge
of Minden.
In 1984, Bolin, as a representative, ran unsuccessfully for the Bossier-Webster Parish District Attorney's position, having lost by 122 votes to the incumbent and fellow Democrat Henry Brown. The tally was 16,447 for Brown to 16,326 for Bolin.
In his current position, Judge Bolin has on occasion served as judge pro tempore by special appointment of the Louisiana Supreme Court
.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
state district court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
who was a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1979 to 1990. Bolin holds court in the 26th Judicial District (Division E) based in Benton
Benton, Louisiana
The town of Benton is the parish seat of Bossier Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 2,035 at the 2000 census. The larger Bossier City is located south of Benton...
, the seat of Bossier Parish. He is a native of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of neighboring Webster Parish.
Bolin was born to James E. Bolin, Sr.
James E. Bolin
James Edwin Bolin, Sr. was an American jurist and politician who served as a judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal and Louisiana Supreme Court as well as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in the northwestern part...
(1914–2002) and the former Mary Eloise Martin (1913–2007). He was reared in Minden and graduated in 1968 from Minden High School
Minden High School (Minden, Louisiana)
Minden High School is the public secondary educational institution in Minden, a small city of 13,000 and the seat of Webster Parish located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana...
, where he was a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
manager and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er. Bolin procured his legal credentials from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge. His brother, James E. Bolin, Jr. (born 1941), is a practicing attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. He also has two sisters, Beth Bolin Falk and Becky Bolin Maupin.
Bolin practiced law and served on the indigent defender board in Minden. On November 7, 1978, he ran in the special election for the District 10 seat in the Louisiana House vacated by R. Harmon Drew, Sr.
R. Harmon Drew, Sr.
Richard Harmon Drew, Sr. was a fourth generation judge and a former Democratic state representative who was descended from pioneer families of Webster Parish in north Louisiana...
Drew, a former Minden city judge, was again elected to that post in the September 16 jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
and had therefore resigned his House seat. Bolin led the balloting over three opponents, including Achillea Gust "Ike" Kirkikis (1926–2004), a Greek American
Greek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
businessman from Minden who also served for four terms on the Webster Parish Police Jury, the parish governing council; outgoing Minden Mayor Jacob E. "Pat" Patterson, and private forester
Forester
250px|thumb|right|Foresters of [[Southern University of Chile|UACh]] in the [[Valdivian forest]]s of San Pablo de Tregua, ChileA forester is a person who practices forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including timber...
William H. "Bill" Zachry, Jr. (born June 10, 1943), the most politically conservative of the four candidates. Bolin led the field, with 5,580 votes (47.2 percent) to Kirkikis's 2,789 (23.6 percent), Patterson's 2,687 (22.7 percent), and Zachry's 773 (6.5 percent). Patterson's son, Ricky Patterson (1951–1978), was shot to death on November 6, election-eve.
In the runoff held on December 16, Bolin prevailed, 2,698 (59.5 percent) to Kirkikis' 1,833 (40.5 percent). He hence took office on January 1, 1979, for the fifteen months remaining in Drew's unexpired term.
Bolin's father had held the same House seat from 1940-1944. Bolin served as representative for nearly a dozen years; he was unopposed for his last term in 1987. He resigned late in 1990, when he was elected to the state district judgeship. The senior Bolin had held that post too—from 1952-1960.
Bolin was elected to full terms later in 1979, 1983, and in 1987, when he was unopposed for the third full term which he did not complete.
The House seat temporarily reverted to a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, Eugene Eason of Springhill
Springhill, Louisiana
Springhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in northern Webster Parish, who filled the remaining months of Bolin's term. Eason was promptly retired in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
held on November 16, 1991 by another Democrat, educator Everett Doerge
Everett Doerge
Everett Gail Doerge was an American state legislator who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 10 from January 1992 until his death in office....
of Minden.
In 1984, Bolin, as a representative, ran unsuccessfully for the Bossier-Webster Parish District Attorney's position, having lost by 122 votes to the incumbent and fellow Democrat Henry Brown. The tally was 16,447 for Brown to 16,326 for Bolin.
In his current position, Judge Bolin has on occasion served as judge pro tempore by special appointment of the Louisiana Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Louisiana is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans....
.