Background
Clark was born in Sulphur in Calcasieu Parish in southwestern Louisiana to Charles Gerald Clark and Hilda W. Clark (1922–2009).
Clark was born in Sulphur in Calcasieu Parish in southwestern Louisiana to Charles Gerald Clark and Hilda W. Clark (1922–2009).
Sulphur High School; Paul M. Hebert Law Center. University of Louisiana at Monroe.
In 2010, Traylor challenged United States. Senator David Vitter for re-nomination in the Republican closed primary. He received his undergraduate degree in 1978 from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, then known as Northeast Louisiana University. Out of college, he served from 1978-1982 as a detective for the Ouachita Parish Sheriff"s Department.
He entered Louisiana State University Law Center in Baton Rouge, from which he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1985.
He returned to Monroe after law school and was an assistant district attorney from 1985 to 1996, when he was elected to the state district court. In 1990, Clark married Allyson Ayers, a neo-natal nurse
The couple has two children. Clark was initially elected as a Democrat to the district judgeship in 1996 to succeed the retiring Judge John Joyce.
He narrowly defeated Frederic "Fred" Amman, a Democrat who was thereafter elected in 2007 as one of three Monroe municipal judges.
In the primary held on September 21, 1996, Clark led Amman, 11,870 (33 percent) to 10,628 (295 percent). Two other Democrats received the remaining 37.6 percent of the ballots. In the November 5 general election, Clark prevailed, 26,828 (513 percent) to 25,424 (487 percent).
Amman was elected without opposition early in 2010 to complete Clark"s remaining term as district judge.
In his first term as a district judge, Clark was sanctioned by the Louisiana Supreme Court when his mounting caseload caused him to fall behind in processing cases. The court held that the delay in processing the cases was a result of disorganization.
Clark was reelected to the district court without opposition in 2002 and 2008. Clark has been an outspoken critic of "frivolous lawsuits" and maintains that he rejected attempts to abuse the court system while he served on the bench in Monroe.
As the Division East state Fourth Judicial District Court judge in Ouachita Parish, Clark defeated Faircloth, a former executive counsel to Governor Bobby Jindal, for a seat on the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Jindal subsequently named Faircloth to represent the administration in legal challenges to the state"s 2012 educational laws. Clark and Faircloth evenly split the twenty parishes in the 4th District Supreme Court position. Clark prevailed, 28,521 (53 percent) to 25,495 (47 percent).
Clark"s strongest turnout was in his home base of Ouachita Parish, where he defeated Faircloth, 14,253-5,322.
Rapides Parish voted for Faircloth, 8,461-2,193. Faircloth led in Concordia, Bienville, Catahoula, Claiborne, Grant, Jackson, Louisiana Salle, Rapides, West Carroll, and Winn parishes.
He graduated in 1974 from Sulphur High School and was an Eagle Scout in his youth. While Faircloth won his home base of Rapides Parish, his turnout there was insufficient to overcome Clark"s districtwide lead. The victorious Clark also won Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, Tensas, and Union parishes.
Republican Party, Democratic Party.
