These cases have brought many questions regarding the prosecution of a juvenile in adult court. In short, the discretion to charge a juvenile charged with a listed crime of violence from the age of 15 years old and above lies with the District Attorney. To prosecute a juvenile who commits a listed crime of violence at the age of 14 requires the District Attorney to file a special motion to the juvenile court judge in which the DA must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the child is not rehabilitable, has a history of violent behavior and that past services have not rehabilitated him. A child aged 10 to 13 has to be prosecuted in juvenile court, where the maximum sentence is “juvenile life,” which means until age 21. A child below age 10 who commits a crime can only be prosecuted as a Family In Need of Services (FINS), which could require placement in Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) custody or Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) custody.
In the Caddo case, our Motion to attempt to transfer the 14-year-old to adult court for prosecution is set for September 18 at Caddo Parish Juvenile Court before Juvenile Judge Justin Courtney.
In great news, I was able to participate in the swearing-in of our former Assistant District Attorney Britney Bass-Arvie as your newest Shreveport City Court Judge. Britney will do a fine job, and I note she is the first of my ADAs to ascend to a judgeship. We also welcomed Christophe “Caleb” Taylor as our new ADA in the section of Chief Judge Ramona Emanuel. He is our first Tulane Law School graduate in the Caddo DA’s office. And we said a fond farewell to two of our fine young ADAs, Sam Crichton and Cheyenne Wilson, who were hired by the United States Attorney’s office. Best wishes to all of these young attorneys.
In other news, our ADAs and the Caddo Parish District Court continued their amazing productivity during the month of August. I thank all jurors, ADAs, support staff, court staff, the judges and the public defender’s office for their collective hard work to bring our numerous cases to conclusion. Here are some highlights:
On August 22, District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr. sentenced Zhane Quinn Persley, 26, to life in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence, as mandated by state law.
Persley was found guilty August 7 of the 2020 slaying of Devacseya Doyle, 24, shot to death at the Willow Trace apartments in the 8100 block of Pines Road on October 24, 2020. Persley confronted Doyle as he left an apartment with Persley’s ex-girlfriend. Persley fired a single shot in the air, which caused Doyle to flee. As he ran away, Persley fired four more shots with a 9 mm handgun, with one bullet striking Doyle in the back of the head, killing him almost instantly.
Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Christopher Bowman prosecuted Persley. Katie Ferguson and Hilary Hileman defended Persley.
The case was docket No. 388127.
A Shreveport man who killed a neighbor in a dispute over a phone charger was found guilty as charged of second-degree murder in Caddo District Court August 21.
It took the seven-woman, five-man jury in District Judge Chris Victory’s court just a half hour to determine that Joshua Parks, 30, shot and killed his neighbor Edward Lattin, 34, Shreveport’s last homicide of 2020. The shooting occurred December 18, 2020.
Victim Lattin was at his residence in the 2900 block of DeSoto Street with his girlfriend, his girlfriend’s best friend and the girlfriend’s mother when he went next door to Parks’ residence to get a phone charger. There, Lattin argued with Parks’ girlfriend over the charger. Lattin returned home and told his girlfriend about the argument, then went outside where the argument between Lattin and the female neighbor continued. Parks came outside, stood behind his girlfriend and started to argue with Lattin.
Lattin and Parks were about to escalate the argument to a physical altercation when Parks pulled out a .380 caliber handgun and shot at Lattin as he turned to run away. According to witness statements, after Parks fired the gun, Lattin fell face forward to the ground. Parks walked over to Lattin and shot him several more times, including the back of the head. Lattin was shot a total of eight times. Parks then fled with the handgun. When he surrendered at Caddo Correctional Center later, his bloody shoes held Lattin’s DNA.
When Parks returns to Judge Victory’s court this month, he faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Parks was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Bill Edwards. He was defended by Sean Landry.
The case was docket No. 380303.
A Shreveport man who pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court a year ago to drug and weapons possession charges stemming from a November 2022 arrest was re-sentenced August 20 as a habitual offender.
Mack Treshaun Marshall, 37, originally had been sentenced August 21, 2023, to terms of varying lengths for the seven crimes to which he pleaded guilty, with one sentence, for the seventh charge he confessed to, netting him a 20-year term without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Marshall, of the 2500 block of Jones Mabry Road, made his guilty pleas before Caddo District Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett, who also presided over the re-sentencing proceedings.
The conviction for which Marshall was sentenced as a habitual offender was the sixth count, illegal carrying of weapons, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun and an SCCY 9mm handgun, while in possession of the controlled dangerous substances cocaine, methamphetamine, buprenorphine, lisdexamfetamine and amphetamine. He originally had been sentenced to eight years without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. That sentence was vacated and he pleaded guilty to the multiple offender bill, receiving a 15-year sentence.
Marshall’s other charges, and the sentences originally imposed, were as follows:
Count 1: Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II methamphetamine, 28 grams or more, 10 years.
Count 2: Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II cocaine, 28 grams or more, 15 years.
Count 3: Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II lisdexamfetamine, less than 28 grams, seven years.
Count 4: Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II amphetamine, less than 28 grams, seven years.
Count 5: Possession with intent to distribute Schedule III buprenorphine, seven years.
Count 7: Possession of a firearm, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun and an SCCY 9mm handgun by a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance on January 22, 2019, 20 years without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
The terms, stemming from a single incident, are being served concurrently.
On November 1, 2022, Caddo Parish deputies executed a search warrant at Marshall’s residence in the 1700 block of Peach Street. The search turned up more than 30 grams of cocaine, more than 120 grams of methamphetamine and various amounts of buprenorphine, amphetamine and lisdexamfetamine, as well as packaging material. Deputies also recovered the handguns, along with proof Marshall lived at the residence.
Assistant District Attorneys Ross Owen and Michael Anderson prosecuted the case. Marshall was defended by Hilary Hileman.
The case was docket No. 392212.
A Caddo Parish jury convicted a Webster Parish man August 9 of a knife attack that critically wounded a Shreveport woman in her home.
The six-man, six-woman jury in District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr.’s court found Dalston Scott Mosley, 22, guilty-as-charged of attempted second-degree murder for an August 27, 2022 attack that sent his 36-year-old victim to the hospital with life-threatening stab wounds to her neck. Jury deliberations lasted about an hour.
Over the course of the trial, prosecutors called seven witnesses to prove Mosley stabbed his victim inside her home in the 2700 block of Stanbury Drive. He then fled. While bleeding profusely from the neck, the victim locked herself inside her home and called 911. After police broke down her door to gain entry, the fire department rushed her to a local hospital where she underwent emergency life-saving surgery. In recovery, the victim identified Mosley, who had been captured within hours of the attack, as her assailant, from a six-person photographic lineup.
Forensic testing determined the victim’s DNA was on Mosley’s clothing and on a knife he was carrying in his waistband. At trial, Mosley admitted being in the victim’s residence but denied stabbing her.
At his sentencing September 26, Mosley faces a prison term of at least 10 and up to 50 years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Assistant District Attorneys Glen Cortello and Jason Waltman prosecuted Mosley. Katie Ferguson and Madison Crussan defended him.
The case was docket No. 391045.
A Shreveport man whose trial for attempted second-degree murder had just begun in Caddo District Court pleaded guilty as the victim began to testify in early August.
Grandville Dewayne Williams Jr., 36, pleaded guilty as charged after the jury had been sworn and as the state’s first witness, the victim, took the stand.
Williams faced a maximum of 50 years at hard labor. District Judge Ramona Emanuel sentenced him August 6 to a 40-year hard-labor term.
The jury heard testimony from the victim that on December 12, 2020, while she was employed at the Jolie Apartments, Grandville Williams, an apartment resident at the time, came into the office while she was alone. After he was asked to leave for being disrespectful, he began to attack her. He stabbed her approximately 17 times; she suffered injuries to her liver, hands, face, neck and head. Officers arrived at the crime scene to an office filled with an enormous amount of blood everywhere. As a result of the quick response from a friend, initial officers and medical personnel, the victim survived.
Williams was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Senae D. Hall and Mekisha Smith Creal. He was defended by Royal Alexander and Dave Knadler.
The case was docket No. 380179.
A Shreveport man convicted in Caddo District Court last fall of drug distribution was convicted August 6 of possession of weapons and drugs prohibited under the terms of his probation.
Keith Deiontrae Adams, 23, was unanimously found guilty on all eight counts by the five-woman, seven-man jury in District Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett’s court after just under two hours deliberation. He had been charged with three counts of possession of a concealed weapon by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, three counts of carrying a weapon while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance and unlawful handling of a machine gun.
The charges resulted from a compliance check at Adams’ residence by Louisiana State Probation and Parole December 7, 2023.
When Adams returns to court this month, he faces five to 20 years at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 for each of the three weapons possession convictions, one to 10 years with or without hard labor for the possession with intent to distribute conviction, five to 10 years imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence for each of the three weapons with drugs convictions, and one to 10 years at hard labor for the machine gun handling conviction.
Adams was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ross Owen and Erica Jefferson. He was defended by Allison Melton-Griffin.
The case was docket No. 399147.
The Caddo Grand Jury returned two murder indictments and two sex crimes true bills in its session ending August 14.
Amanvir Singh and Jacorreyon Graham each were charged with second-degree murder in connection with local slayings, while Calvin Lewis was charged with aggravated rape and indecent behavior with juveniles and Tresdan Griffin was charged with first-degree rape.
Singh, 34, from Flowood, Miss., was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the April 23 slaying of Gurpreet Singh Judge. He was booked into Caddo Correctional Center May 2, with his bond set at $1.2 million.
Graham, 34, from Shreveport, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the April 1 slaying of Phuoc Dinh Le, also known as Danny Lee. He was booked into Caddo Correctional Center June 7, with bond set at $750,000.
Lewis, 60, from Keithville, was booked into Caddo Correctional Center May 6, with a combined bond of $900,000. Griffin, 21, from Shreveport, was booked into Caddo Correctional Center June 8, with bond set at $500,000.
Due to the nature of the crimes with which they are charged, the indictments against Lewis and Griffin were issued under seal, with no further information available.
At juvenile court, amongst the other important work they do, Truancy court reconvened last week for the 2024-2025 school year. I look forward to reporting to you at the September 18 school board meeting the positive work being done in our community in addressing truancy, as numbers continue to go down.
