SLS 18RS-236 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 14
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences on the death of Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of former Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr.
4 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the passing of Judge
5 Kaliste Saloom Jr., at age ninety-nine, on December 2, 2017, has been learned; and
6 WHEREAS, Kaliste Saloom Jr. was born in Lafayette in 1918, the fifth of seven
7 children, to Lebanese immigrants, Kaliste and Asthma Boustany Saloom; and
8 WHEREAS, after graduating from Cathedral High School and the Southwestern
9 Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), he received his law
10 degree from Tulane University in 1942; and
11 WHEREAS, World War II forced Saloom to put his legal career on hold, spending
12 eighteen months in French North Africa as a special agent in the American Armed Forces
13 Counterintelligence Corps before fighting in the American 7th and French 1st armies during
14 the invasion of southern France in 1944, in total, three years in the military during and
15 immediately after the war; and
16 WHEREAS, upon his return to the United States, he opened a law firm in Lafayette
17 and within three years of beginning his practice, Kaliste Saloom Jr. was named Lafayette
18 city attorney, during which time, he helped establish Lafayette Parish's permanent voter
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1 registration program and aided in the development of the Lafayette Utilities System; and
2 WHEREAS, in 1953, he was elected to the post of Lafayette City Court Judge and
3 in his forty years as judge, Kaliste Saloom reformed the process of issuing traffic tickets in
4 the city to prevent local officials from "fixing" or discarding violations and oversaw the
5 expansion of the city court in 1984 from one judge to two, before retiring in 1993; and
6 WHEREAS, in 1992, Judge Saloom briefly served on the Louisiana Third Circuit
7 Court of Appeal; and
8 WHEREAS, during his time on the bench, Judge Saloom received numerous awards
9 from local and national organizations, including the American Bar Association, and served
10 on several councils and boards, including the Louisiana Supreme Court Judicial Council, on
11 which he was the first city judge to serve; the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws;
12 and the National Conference on Uniform Bail and Criminal Justice; and
13 WHEREAS, Judge Saloom helped found the Lafayette Juvenile Detention Home and
14 the Acadiana Safety Council; and
15 WHEREAS, he remained active in civic affairs even after his retirement, was noted
16 as a foremost authority on Lafayette history, and was an early ardent supporter of
17 CODOFIL; and
18 WHEREAS, Judge Saloom was the 1965 winner of the Lafayette Civic Cup and the
19 Salvation Army's Man of the Year in 1966, and was a major participant in Lafayette's Mardi
20 Gras festivities, serving as King Lacassine of the Krewe of Attakapas in 1969 and King
21 Gabriel L of the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association in 1989; and
22 WHEREAS, he was also a fervent supporter of the University of Louisiana at
23 Lafayette, helping his alma mater in fundraising efforts and regularly attending university
24 events; and
25 WHEREAS, Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr. was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall
26 of Fame in 2006, the Order of Living Legends at the Acadian Museum in 2009, and the
27 Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2016; and
28 WHEREAS, he is survived by his wife Yvonne; children Kaliste III, Douglas,
29 Leanne, and Gregory; their spouses; eleven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a
30 host of other relatives; and
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1 WHEREAS, he was considered a walking encyclopedia of university and community
2 history, an American patriot, a legal scholar, a gentleman lawyer, a friend and a neighbor,
3 and a wonderful family man, and his legacy will be remembered and cherished.
4 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
5 does hereby express heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of retired Judge Kaliste
6 Saloom Jr. and does hereby extend best wishes for peace in this time of sorrow and hopes
7 for fond and lasting memories of a life well lived.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
9 the family of Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 14 Original 2018 Regular Session Boudreaux
Expresses condolences upon the death of former Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr.
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