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Kristine Russell
Lafourche Parish District Attorney
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OFFICE HOURS
For your convenience, our office has an Assistant District Attorney
available from 8:30am to 4:30pm
Monday though Friday to answer
your questions, provided that
you do not already have an
outside attorney representing
you. Please call (985)
447-2003 and ask for the
assistant on duty.
PARISH GOVERNMENT AND BOARDS -
The Lafourche Parish
District Attorney is the statutory legal advisor to the Parish Government
and to all Parish Board and Commissions. In her capacity as legal advisor,
the District Attorney works closely with Parish Council and the Parish
President to protect the interests of Lafourche Parish. The District
Attorney's Office also makes itself available to answer questions and
provide legal advice to Parish Boards and Commissions.
SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT
(Read more...)
-
Project
L.E.A.D. (Legal Enrichment and Decision-Making)
-
Domino
Effect
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Violence
Intervention Program (VIP)
-
District
Attorney Truancy Program (DATE)
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Internet
Safety and Cyber Bullying
***HIGHLIGHTS***
April 19, 2018
THOMPKINS
SENTENCED TO
LIFE FOR
KILLING OF
CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMANT
THIBODAUX – A
man convicted
last year of
orchestrating
the murder of a
confidential
informant from
his jail cell
was sentenced to
life in prison
Wednesday
afternoon.
Toronzo
Thompkins, 39,
was convicted of
second degree
murder on May
26, 2017, having
been charged
with the killing
of Nikki Landry
on September 22,
2013. At the
time of the
murder,
Thompkins was
incarcerated in
the Lafourche
Parish Detention
Center, awaiting
trial the next
day on a charge
of distribution
of cocaine.
Landry was to
testify as a
witness against
Thompkins.
Both Landry
and an
acquaintance,
Harry Lefort,
were killed in
Landry’s Larose
apartment the
night before the
start of that
trial. Thompkins
son, Traveyon
Blackledge, has
already been
convicted of
both killings,
and a third
accomplice is
scheduled to go
to trial later
this year.
"To set up
the killing of
another human
being for the
purpose of
avoiding trial
is unthinkable,"
said District
Attorney
Kristine
Russell. "Life
in prison is the
only appropriate
sentence. While
we might never
be able to give
the victims’
families real
closure, we can
give them
justice. I hope
that this begins
the healing
process for both
of these
families."
Thompkins,
who is already
serving a life
sentence as a
habitual
offender in the
wake of his
conviction for
distribution of
cocaine the week
after Landry’s
murder, was
sentenced by the
Hon. Walter I.
Lanier, III to
life in prison
without the
benefit of
probation,
parole or
suspension of
sentence.
Thompkins, was
also convicted
of the negligent
homicide of
Lefort, and was
sentenced to
five years on
that charge,
which is to be
served
concurrently to
the homicide
sentence but
consecutive to
the habitual
offender
sentence.
Evidence
presented at
trial included
jail recordings
of phone calls
made by
Thompkins to
acquaintances,
including
Blackledge,
seeking to have
Landry killed to
prevent her
testimony.
"I hope this
conviction and
sentence sends a
strong message
to anyone who is
thinking about
trying to
intimidate or
threaten a
witness," said
Assistant
District
Attorney Jason
Chatagnier, who
prosecuted the
case along with
ADA Joe Soignet.
"It’s just not
worth it."
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