The road to becoming a Louisiana Supreme Court Justice has gotten pretty smooth for Caddo District Court Judge Scott Crichton over the past several weeks. First off, the big break came when the two-term incumbent, Justice Jeff Victory of Shreveport, decided not to seek a third term. That development spurred rumors of two potential opponents for Crichton, who had become the lone candidate for the coveted seat on the state’s high court. But Judge Jay Caraway of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal and Sabine Parish District Judge Stephen Beasley both decided not run. It is not surprising, therefore, that Crichton now needs a larger bandwagon. That was evident this past week at a fundraiser held at 2Johns Restaurant in Bossier City. Among the overflow crowd were area judges, sheriffs, district attorneys, judges, assessors, state legislators – you name it. It was the place to be seen. Nevertheless, Crichton is taking all the growing support for his candidacy without being over-confident. He says he will continue to run as though he has an opponent and will campaign in all 11 parishes in the judicial district. It is still early – the election is not until the fall of 2014 – and it is quite possible that an opponent could surface somewhere along that road. But with 58% of the registered voters residing in Caddo and Bossier parishes, it seems he has solid support in those two parishes. Judge Beasley, in announcing he would not run, said it will be hard for someone from one of the rural parishes to be competitive.