For 34 years, Mike Kelly was an attorney in many of Avoyelles Parish’s major criminal court cases -- on the defense side for nine years and as an assistant district attorney for the prosecution for the past 25.
For the past 15 years he has been the 1st assistant district attorney, No. 2 on the DA’s law team.
Kelly’s retirement from the District Attorney’s Office became effective Dec. 31. He will maintain his private law practice in Marksville, but plans to focus on sales, successions and wills.
Can he withstand the pull to take on criminal cases? Can decades of trial court drama be so easily set aside for the “boring,” but very important areas of law?
Stay tuned to find out.
‘CANNOT BE REPLACED'
“Mike Kelly has been a great First Assistant. His value to the District Attorney’s Office is immeasurable,” District Attorney Charles Riddle said. “I have told members of the District Attorney’s Association that he was the best First ADA in the state,” Riddle continued. “I have told my office that he cannot be replaced. In fact, several ADAs will be doing various portions of the job that he has done.”
Kelly came to Avoyelles Parish in 1973 and practiced with C.E. Laborde Jr. and Edwin Lafargue until 1977. He then practiced with Harold Brouillette from 1977 to 1979. He has maintained a solo practice since then.
His first experience in criminal court was as a court-appointed attorney for indigents. He was appointed to assist Gano Lemoine in the Anthony Dupuy murder trials.
“Gano was a passionate showman,” Kelly recalled. “In the first murder trial, he jumped up on the counsel table and grabbed a rope used to bind the victim and flopped and rolled on his stomach. I was speechless.”
The second murder trial was less than six weeks later.
“Judge Earl Edwards told me the experience would be good for my practice,” Kelly said. “It never helped the practice, but I became a regular in criminal court.”
The second major appointment was in the Vincent Simmons case, assisting Brouillette. Simmons had been accused of raping two 14-year-old twins. The charge was amended to attempted aggravated rape for trial.
The tension in the courtroom and the difficulty of the case was “unnerving,” but Brouillette was a good teacher, Kelly said.
Kelly became the parish’s Chief Indigent Defender.
One case he remembers was a 1st degree murder trial in which his defense team associates were Katherine Williamson and Riddle.
Kelly said the defense was fortunate that District Attorney Eddie Knoll “permitted us the opportunity to convince the victim’s family” to accept a life sentence instead of seeking capital punishment.
After that case, Kelly said he “resigned from the Indigent Defender Board with $9 to my name in 1989.”
JOINED D.A.'S OFFICE
Kelly finally yielded to Knoll’s invitation to wear a “white hat” and join the D.A.’s Office in 1992.
“Hands down, Eddie was the best courtroom attorney I saw,” Kelly said. “I tried to imitate him, but the original still stands tall.”
Kelly was paired with Renee Y. Roy and the unlikely duo were usually successful in their prosecutions.
“It was truly an honor, privilege and pleasure to have worked alongside Mike for many years to administer justice for the Parish of Avoyelles and its citizens. Mike has been not only a personal friend, but also my confidante throughout those years,” Knoll said. “Mike is an honorable, professional, bright, organized, dedicated, hardworking and a confident and vigorous litigator. He is a gentleman and a good man.”
Kelly recalls being pitted against his future boss in one murder case.
“Although we were friends outside the courtroom, inside the courtroom we fought like dogs,” Kelly said. “The defendant was convicted of manslaughter, but the conviction was reversed on appeal.”
When Riddle was elected to succeed Knoll in 2003, Kelly became Riddle’s 1st assistant.
“I was lucky to remain 1st Assistant DA for 15 years, but I gave Charles a lot of trouble,” Kelly said with a laugh. “We argued daily, but somehow we got along well enough to keep things going. There were murder trials -- too many, I think, but not nearly as many as in other jurisdictions.”
Riddle said Kelly had an “impressive” career in the District Attorney’s Office, under Knoll and as Riddle’s 1st assistant.
“He has handled many complex and emotional cases for our office as lead counsel,” Riddle continued. “It was always a pleasure when I tried cases with him.”
Along the way, Kelly said he learned to respect the defense attorneys, the judges, the victim’s families and juries.
“We went into court representing not only the state, but the pursuit of justice for the victims and families,” Riddle said.
Kelly credited much of his success to “great teamwork” in the DA’s Office.
One of his partners in prosecutions was Tony Salario, who succeeded Kelly as 1st Assistant. Salario was always “cool and methodical,” Kelly said.
Assistant DA Norris Greenhouse Sr. was “tireless and passionate.”
D.A. Investigator Troy Redmon is a first-rate investigator and courtroom specialist in preparing and exhibiting photographic evidence, he noted.
Cherie Deshautelle, Missy Mose and Michelle Jeansonne contributed insights into human nature and expertly handled exhibits and witnesses during trials while Victoria Barnes kept the bills of information flowing like clockwork.
Trial juries represent the intersection of the best ideals of democracy with the criminal justice system, Kelly said.
“Our juries are hard-working, honest people who come to court bewildered but with a sense of justice,” he continued. “Sometimes they convict and sometimes they acquit. -- and, by golly, they are usually right!”
NEED FOR COURTROOMS
Kelly said there is a need for new courtrooms in which to conduct the parish’s trials.
In 1973, there was only one large courtroom with ceiling fans. That courtroom was divided when a second judgeship was added. Division “A” is the “big” courtroom and Division “B” is the “little courtroom” -- designated based on their size and not the importance of their cases.
Inmates in the 4th Floor jail stopped up toilets, causing water to cascade down the courtroom walls, he recalled.
Today, there is “a serious security risk” due to changes in society, the proliferation of guns and the large number of inmates brought to court, Kelly said. The public is asked to enter the courthouse through one first floor door in the rear of the building -- a door that used to be used only for prisoners.
Visitors must either climb three flights of narrow stairs or take a 1927 Otis elevator to the 3rd Floor where the courtrooms are located.
When a few hundred potential jurors are crowding the hallways, there is a “disgraceful shortage of public restrooms and nowhere to sit.”
In addition to the aesthetics and amenities of the courtrooms, the acoustics in the courts are terrible, he said.
Television sets with wires running along the floor are used to provide visual aids to jurors, but are also a tripping hazard.
“I hear it said that we are sitting on a powder keg,” Kelly said. “Someday there will be an incident in our courtrooms. Security, as a result of overcrowding, is a nightmare.
“Our courtrooms should be a point of pride for the parish,” he asserted. “The judges try to improve the courtrooms but they have inadequate funding.”
He hopes the Avoyelles Bar Association, the professional association of lawyers, will provide leadership necessary to solve the problem of antiquated courtrooms.
“Mike was very instrumental in the success of my 30-year tenure as District Attorney of this great parish. On behalf of the people of Avoyelles, I would like to take this opportunity of extending our sincerest thanks to Mike for his many years and contributions to our system of justice here in Avoyelles Parish,” Knoll continued. “Mike, you not only deserve, but are entitled to retirement. I trust that it will be long and happy. May God bless and keep you. Remember, there is life after D.A.”
“Avoyelles Parish citizens need to know that we are losing an icon,” Riddle said of Kelly. “I wish him the best in his retirement and his continuing private practice. I will miss him and our parish will miss him.”