| Advisory opinion regarding whether the continued employment of Sharon Schafer as a paralegal for the St. Bernard Parish Indigent Defender's office for the 34th Judicial District Court will violate the Code of Ethics if Ms. Schafer marries the St. Bernard Parish President. |
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David Peralta states that he has been President of St. Bernard Parish since January 10, 2012. Sharon Schafer has served as a paralegal for St. Bernard Parish in the Indigent Defenders Office since June 11, 2007. Upon taking office as the Parish President, Mr. Peralta directed all supervision of Ms. Schafer to Tom Gernhauser, the head of the Indigent Defender Board. Mr. Peralta also directed all administrative supervision of Ms. Schafer to the Chief Administrative officer, Jerry Graves. Ms. Schafer and Mr. Peralta were married in March of 2012.
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Section 1119 prohibits the immediate family member of an agency head from being employed in that agency. However, an exception to that prohibition is found in Section 1119C(2) which allows a public employee, having served for more than one year, to continue in that employment when a member of the immediate family becomes the head of the agency.
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Adopt the advisory opinion.
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| Assigned Attorney: |
Aneatra Boykin |
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