NEW ORLEANS — Retired Judge John Shea, who spent 30 years on the New Orleans Municipal Court bench, died Tuesday. He was 86.
Judge Shea died of congestive heart failure at his New Orleans home, said his son Scott.
Judge Shea retired from the city's Municipal Court bench in 2009, as he turned 75 and marked his 50th year of practicing law.
At the time, he returned to private practice with his family law firm, where three of his children – Mark, Erin and Scott – are attorneys. His son Mark Shea is a judge on Orleans Parish Municipal and Traffic Court. Scott Shea is also a former Orleans Parish School Board member and City Council member.
Judge Shea was first elected to the Municipal Court bench in 1978 and re-elected three times. He also served as the court’s Chief Judge.
Scott Shea said his father loved his work and was well-respected throughout the legal community and even by defendants who appeared before him in court.
“People often talked about how extremely fair he was. He loved being a judge because he connected with so many people because of the high volume of cases that come through that courthouse,” Scott Shea said.
Soon after Judge Shea took the bench in the 1970s, his son said he made an impact with his handling of domestic violence cases.
“That was at a time when not enough people took those sort of cases seriously,” Scott Shea said. “He was one of the first who recognized the seriousness of these cases and how they can escalate into things more serious.”
Judge Shea began his career as a public defender before becoming executive assistant district attorney under former Orleans Parish District Attorney Jim Garrison in the early 1960's. Judge Shea's late brother Frank was a Criminal Court judge from 1963 until his retirement in 1996.
A native of the city’s Third Ward, Judge Shea was a graduate of Warren Easton High School who earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Loyola University. Warren Easton named him to its Hall of Fame.
Judge John Shea was the grand marshal of the 1990 Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day parade and named man of the year by the Ancient Order of Hibernians in 2002.
“He was larger than life, an old-school New Orleanian, who loved his life, loved people and his city,” Scott Shea said.
In addition to his sons, Judge Shea is survived by his wife, Joan; two daughters, Erin Shea-Stahnke and Michelle Scalise; a brother, Al Shea; and nine grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Monday, Feb. 1 from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at St. Dominic Church, 775 Harrison Ave. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorial donations to St. Michael Special School.
