Former Prosecutor and Lawyer 1981 - 1990

For 10 years I served as an assistant district attorney. On my first day on the job in 1981, I successfully prosecuted a case in which the accused ran a stop sign; on my last day in 1990, after a 23 day trial, I argued to a Caddo jury that it should return a death sentence in State of Louisiana v. Nathaniel Code* . The jury agreed and sent Code to Angola’s death row. Between that first traffic case and that last capital murder case, I successfully prosecuted armed robbers, car jackers, rapists and murderers. I prosecuted hundreds of bench trials and well over sixty jury trials, some of the more notorious criminal defendants being David McFadden**, a 1983 high profile 2nd degree murder with a “who done it” twist to it; Theodore London***, a 2nd degree murder (by sawed-off shotgun) of a lady grocery clerk on Christmas Eve 1985; Darrell Crider, a 1985 2d degree murder case involving an interstate drifter/serial killer; and finally Nathaniel Code, the worst serial killer in the history of Caddo Parish who terrorized Cedar Grove with random home invasion murders between 1984 and 1987, until he was finally arrested.


I spent almost every day and night of 5 months reviewing over a thousand pages of police reports, preparing over 100 witnesses and several hundred exhibits before the 23 consecutive day trial began in the fall of 1990. To read more about this amazing case, to hear my opening statement to the jury (delivered 9/24/90) and my direct examination questioning of then Caddo Coroner, Dr. George McCormick (9/29/90), please click here - Nathaniel Code.




In addition, throughout most of the 1980s, I maintained a civil practice in which I handled cases involving personal injury, child custody, and some business litigation. My most significant case was Hood v. LA. DOTD****, which involved the wrongful death of a child in Claiborne Parish caused by the negligence of the La. Department of Transportation and Development.


* State v. Nathaniel Code Jr., 91-KA-0998 (La. 11/29/1993) 627 So.2d 1373, 62 USLW 2403 rehearing denied (La. 1/6/1994).
Certiorari denied Code v Louisiana, 511 U.S. 1248, 114 S.Ct. 2775, 129 L.Ed.2d 887, 62 USLW 3856 (U.S. 6/27/1994) rehearing denied Code v Louisiana, 512 U.S. 1248, 114 S.Ct. 2775, 129 L.Ed.2d 887, 62 USLW 3862.

** State v. David McFadden, 17,156 (La.App.2d Cir. 9/25/1985) 476 So.2d 413, writ denied State v McFadden, 85-K-2043 (La. 1/13/1986) 480 So.2d 739.

*** State v. Theodore London, 21,406 (La.App.2d Cir. 4/4/1990) 559 So.2d 510, writ denied State v. London, 90-K-0985 (La. 9/6/1990) 565 So.2d 941.

**** Hood v State through Dept. of Transp. and Development, 22,751 (La. App. 2d Cir. 9/27/1991) 587 So.2d 755.




Last Modified: October 2, 2009
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