The latest news coming out of Lake Charles regarding one of four state troopers charged with malfeasance and 74 counts of injuring public records is the defense offered up by his attorney, the same attorney who loves to file SLAPP lawsuits against a Welsh city alderman.
Oh, and there’s the revelation that former State Trooper Jimmy Rogers, who resigned in the middle of a Louisiana State Police (LSP) internal affairs investigation, still holds—or recently held—a commission from the DEQUINCY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Rogers attempted to return to LSP when he sent an email to Troop D Commander Benny Broussard on March 7 in which he (a) claimed he had resigned in “good standing,” and (b) said he would like to return to his former job. Ironically, in that email he said, “I was clear (sic) of every claim except altering times on tickets. I am guilty of writing times on tickets later than the stop actually was.”
Yeah, well, actually, those altered tickets are exactly what those 74 felony counts are all about and about which Calcasieu Parish DISTRICT ATTORNEY John DeRosier says he is “in the process of preparing formal charges.”
DeRosier said he was “going to assume that there’s a financial benefit” to Rogers’s practice of jotting an incorrect time on all those tickets ostensibly written while working Local Agency Compensated Enforcement (LACE) patrol. LACE is a cooperative program in which local district attorneys pay state police for beefed-up patrol to catch traffic offenders.
The financial benefit to Rogers, at least theoretically, would be that he wrote his tickets early in his shift but put later times to make it appear he worked his entire shift when in reality, he would go home early after writing a few tickets. DeRosier might be taking that offense a little personally since it is his office that pays for those hours that Rogers is accused of not working.
But no matter. Rogers apparently has this captivating voice that should be sufficient to beat the rap. You see, according to his attorney, Ron Richard, Rogers is a man “who probably sang the national anthem at more events in this town than anyone else” and is confident “both in himself and his faith in God that he will be vindicated and all will be made right in the end.”
Good to know. But…but…but Rogers put it in writing back on March 7 that he was guilty of falsifying the times. Which brings up the obvious question: Will Richard have him sing the national anthem on the stand during his trial? Apparently, Richard thinks that is important.
This is the same attorney who filed a so-called SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation or, if you will, frivolous or harassment) LAWSUIT against Welsh Alderman Jacob Colby Perry on behalf of four separate clients—the Welsh mayor, her daughter, her son, and the town’s police chief.
They lost and had to pay Perry’s legal fees of some $16,000.
If convicted, Rogers could be facing up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000—on each count.
Now, Dequincy, about that Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement commission you issued to Rogers when you hired him as a reserve police officer….
Don’t be surprised if a deal is struck to keep Rogers from having to testify against Chris Guillory or other supervisors that allowed Rogers to commit these crimes. Remember that it was the DA’s office that filed charges
against Dwight Gerst for picking Rogers kids at school and gave them a ride to a daycare center with his own kids. During the trial, the judge ruled a direct verdict against the DA’s office of not guilty and couldn’t figure out why the DA’s office even pursued the case. If Rogers goes to trial, others at Troop D could be implicated. I hope they do the right thing. Maybe Rogers will be singing a different tune.
Caution knows whereof he speaks. There is so much I’ve written about Rogers, it would be impossible to summarize it in a single post but suffice it to say Rogers has quite a history of questionable behavior in his tenure with LSP.
I have to imagine Guillory and Major Breaux are concerned Rogers will roll over on them. Funny thing, I had heard they removed a supervisor from that Department to a made up position because his shift had low numbers. But none of these supervisors allowing theft and fraud have been removed besides guillory being moved. A couple of retirees said Breaux might be running sheriff. He might have a hard time winning if the criminal acts and head hunting he covered up and participated in for his good friend Guillory come to light.
Should’ve posted this image of Ron to go along with your post. I’ve never seen a lawyer present himself like this. But, in my opinion, he isnt much of one.
https://ibb.co/j9PLYn
There seems to be a lot going on over there in Calcasieu Parish as you can also see in this article attached.
http://www.soundoffla.com/?p=1720
He can impregnate another man’s wife while on duty. Then make threats to the man and his family. Threaten her family also all the while using the states computer base therefore abusing his authority as a Trooper hiding behind a badge. Signed off not to pay child support and gave up his rights. Threatened and harassed Calcasieu parish deputy and got him fired. He is being sued by the man for unwrongful loss of his job. It’s all a matter of record . Now he is being charged for other unlawful deeds. But hey, he can sure sing for God and country!
As a retired trooper, it’s always been my observation, that all who steal, are also psychological liars. They need to drain the swamp at LSP. There’s many that promoted under Edmonson that need to go. Although, it’s not official, but I’ve heard threw the “retires grapevine” that a number of high ranking officers at LSP have been ask to retire much earlier than they had planned. We’ll see, but it appears that Col. Reeve’s is attempting to clean up the mess Edmonson left him. Only time will tell, but I have faith that Col. Reeves will do the right thing, if he’s not shut down by Louisiana Politicians. I can honestly say this, “I wouldn’t want to be the man behind Col. Reeves desk”. He’s got his work cut out for him.