District Attorney's Office

[Cool Breeze]

There is lots of talk on here about the NPSO and NPD and NPPJ. I haven't read anything about the D.A.'s Office. I have always believed that the D.A. holds the most powerful position in the parish--not the Sheriff. While the NPSO can make all the arrests they want- it is the D.A. who has the power to prosecute or let someone walk away.

[Mama Cita]

I heard the secretary of the DA's office was the most powerful one.

[justwondering]

Have you noticed the SAME people getting arrested over and over again for the same thing, like DRUGS? Of course, I realize if they get out of jail and DO IT AGAIN, I EXPECT them to be arrested, but why are they NOT PROSECUTED, WHY are they back out on the streets within days. I saw a guy at the grocery store the other day, that I know has been busted at least FOUR times and he is back out again. Whats the DEAL? IS the DA responsible or is it SOMEONE in the office taking OVER for the DA or IS it the JUDGES. Someone is NOT doing their JOB. As voters, what can WE do to help with this situation? Our parish WILL NEVER get any better IF people are not prosecuted for their crimes?

[Mama Cita]

justwondering wrote:

Have you noticed the SAME people getting arrested over and over again for the same thing, like DRUGS? Of course, I realize if they get out of jail and DO IT AGAIN, I EXPECT them to be arrested, but why are they NOT PROSECUTED, WHY are they back out on the streets within days. I saw a guy at the grocery store the other day, that I know has been busted at least FOUR times and he is back out again. Whats the DEAL? IS the DA responsible or is it SOMEONE in the office taking OVER for the DA or IS it the JUDGES. Someone is NOT doing their JOB. As voters, what can WE do to help with this situation? Our parish WILL NEVER get any better IF people are not prosecuted for their crimes?

Thats a great question, and it is always the same names in the paper.

[jamed]

One of the reasons you see them back out on the street is because they are informants, stool pigeons , rats, squealers, tattle tales. It takes those to arrest others.

[justwondering]

Mama Cita wrote:

<quoted text> Thats a great question, and it is always the same names in the paper.

Do you have any suggestions of how or what WE can do to help with this situation? Could be have a Open Forum of some sort, so that our elected officials could address this issue? I consider this ONE of our BIG problems for our Parish and it needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY.

[justwondering]

correctio not "be" but "we"

[jamed]

It's not just a Natchitoches problem. It's the whole country. We just live in a small town and you see them more often.

[meand you]

Most of those names that you read over and over in the paper are just the user(they get caught with a small amount) and its the dealer we need to get out of Natchitoches Parish! The dealer is at the schools, playgrounds and anywhere they can find a young innocent person. The drug problem in Natchitoches Central is unreal--that would be a good place to start checking for drugs.

[justwondering]

jamed wrote:

One of the reasons you see them back out on the street is because they are informants, stool pigeons , rats, squealers, tattle tales. It takes those to arrest others.

If they are really "All these things as labeled" why would still have all the drugs on them when they are arrested. ARE they selling drugs whild they are====informing, ratting squealling and etc? If so, WHY let them BACK OUT??? I say 'LOCK THEM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY.....UNTIL we can get our children taught to NOT BUY....

[justwondering]

"while"

[Mama Cita]

Just wondering, I wouldnt know where to start. However I would support, and do what was needed. As far as starting it, I am NO help at all.

[Cool Breeze]

I wonder if there is a way to look at the arrest reports and compare it to the court docket. How many of those arrested really went to court and did they receive a plea bargain or did they actually go in front of a judge? In a plea bargain the D.A.'s office makes an offer in return for someone pleading guilty (most often to a lesser charge). The special investigator for the D.A.'s office handles these matters. He makes the calls - not the judges. My question is why on earth do we pay the salaries of several assistant D.A.'s and indigent defenders along with judges salaries when they have no part to play. It is only one person-the special investigator that we should be paying a salary- because he is doing all the work.

[Broken Leg]

There is a female dealer who moved here from Dallas several years ago. She has introduced drugs to at least 7 other children (I know the parents) in the last 6 or so years. She has been arrested at least 4 times but the charges never stick. The children and the parents know whose lives have been ruined because of this trash.

What can we do to get her off the streets? Of course, we all know dealers who are still out there after being arrested year after year. Why aren't theses DEALERS prosecuted?

[justwondering]

Cool Breeze wrote:

I wonder if there is a way to look at the arrest reports and compare it to the court docket. How many of those arrested really went to court and did they receive a plea bargain or did they actually go in front of a judge? In a plea bargain the D.A.'s office makes an offer in return for someone pleading guilty (most often to a lesser charge). The special investigator for the D.A.'s office handles these matters. He makes the calls - not the judges. My question is why on earth do we pay the salaries of several assistant D.A.'s and indigent defenders along with judges salaries when they have no part to play. It is only one person-the special investigator that we should be paying a salary- because he is doing all the work.

My question is WHY is the investigator doing ALL the work. Where is the DA, the one we elected. The investigator should "INVESTIGATE" not do ALL the work. If there is only ONE person doing ALL the work,,,,,,we don't need a DA. We need to ELECT an INVESTIGATOR. If he investigates.....he SHOULDN'T have ANYTHING to do with anything ELSE. Sounds to me, the INVESTIGATOR IS over stepping his JOB description. He seems to be the DA, Investigator and Judge. We don't need this.....

[Jacklyn]

justwondering wrote:

<quoted text>My question is WHY is the investigator doing ALL the work. Where is the DA, the one we elected. The investigator should "INVESTIGATE" not do ALL the work. If there is only ONE person doing ALL the work,,,,,,we don't need a DA. We need to ELECT an INVESTIGATOR. If he investigates.....he SHOULDN'T have ANYTHING to do with anything ELSE. Sounds to me, the INVESTIGATOR IS over stepping his JOB description. He seems to be the DA, Investigator and Judge. We don't need this.....

I am not from Natchitoches but The DA had handled a case for me. The case was worked and made a mess of and the DA had to take it and start from nothing and Prosecute it. The investigator never stepped out of place. He did his job. So I am not following what you are saying about the DA. All I can say is I wished things moved faster in that Office.

[C U Later]

Cool Breeze wrote:

There is lots of talk on here about the NPSO and NPD and NPPJ. I haven't read anything about the D.A.'s Office. I have always believed that the D.A. holds the most powerful position in the parish--not the Sheriff. While the NPSO can make all the arrests they want- it is the D.A. who has the power to prosecute or let someone walk away.

The main difference between these agencies is that the D.A. has the power to subpoena anything (such as I.P. addresses). They've done it on cases before so be careful what you say!

[justwondering]

Jacklyn wrote:

<quoted text> I am not from Natchitoches but The DA had handled a case for me. The case was worked and made a mess of and the DA had to take it and start from nothing and Prosecute it. The investigator never stepped out of place. He did his job. So I am not following what you are saying about the DA. All I can say is I wished things moved faster in that Office.

I was referring to the post #13. This post says the investigator does all the work. My question is WHY....he should have to only investigate and someone else take it from there.

[Mike from Clarence]

C U Later wrote:

<quoted text>
The main difference between these agencies is that the D.A. has the power to subpoena anything (such as I.P. addresses). They've done it on cases before so be careful what you say!

I wouldn't be so worried about them following through with investigating an IP address when they can't even follow through with telling you that you can leave the court room and and fail to tell the judge so that you get a bench warrant because you listened to that 'investigator'. I think we all know his name and there are even more that have had warrants on them for not being in court because they listened to and believed that investigator.
And can anyone say that they have been to the DA's office twice and not seen a different female in that office?
Don't have to subpoena my IP, I'll tell ya who I am. I got that much faith in the investigative power of the DA's office.

[Call me Serpico]

and to think, if the people of Natchitoches didn't have much sense, that investigator would have been Sheriff four years ago.
God Bless the people of Natchitoches. They are truly smarter than the rest of the country would give them credit for.