Columns & Opinions

When I was asked to write about Judge Harmon Drew, I thought to myself, what an impossible task. How can you put into a few words the life of a man that has done as many things as Judge Drew? It is a difficult task, but I will try. I first got to know Judge Drew and Ms. Jean when I was growing up in Minden. My family and I would see Judge Drew and Ms. Jean around town. Everyone knew the Drews. Judge Drew was serving as city judge, and he and Ms. Jean had a law practice in town. After I graduated from law school, I had more interaction with Judge Drew as a practicing attorney. For some strange reason, he saw some promise in me as a teacher of the law and started letting me help with his notary preparation classes. This led to helping with the 'True Blue Drew Book' and teaching law enforcement officers all over the state of Louisiana. The True Blue Drew Book Team, as we called ourselves, consisted of Judge Drew, Ms. Jean, Tammy Jump and me. Tammy and I calculated we have been teaching with Judge and Ms. Jean for more than 15 years as of this year. Tammy and I would take turns driving. Judge Drew could spot a police officer on the road anywhere we went. He would start pointing and saying “cop, cop, cop.” Tammy and I usually were not going too far above the speed limit, if any at all, and we finally got the nerve up to tell Judge Drew that if we did get stopped, the officer had probably been in our class and would know us and want to visit. Sure enough, one day we were visiting and not paying attention, and one of us got stopped, I won’t say who, but the officer came up to the car, saw the Drews and about 20 minutes later, everyone made it in time to teach with little time to spare to get the materials prepared for the class. I am always reminded of the time Judge Drew was running for Minden City Court. There was a local businessman who owned a liquor store in Dixie Inn. This businessman was a character, to say the least, but everyone had to visit him when they ran for office. Judge Drew and Ms. Jean went to see this businessman, and he brought Judge and Ms. Jean into his office. Judge Drew was sitting on a chair across the desk from the businessman, and Ms. Jean was sitting on a crate. Judge Drew stated, “he had sunk to a new low in campaigning when he realized his wonderful bride, Ms. Jean, was sitting on a crate of live hand grenades.” It always made him laugh when I reminded him of that story.