Defense cites drug roundup in trooper’s honor as reason
The defense team for Kevin Daigle has filed a motion seeking another change of venue for his trial just as jury selection is set to begin Monday in Benton in Bossier Parish.
Daigle is charged with firstdegree murder in the shooting of Steven Vincent, a Louisiana state trooper, in 2015.
The defense said it wanted this second change of venue because of “Operation D-57,” a roundup of 180 people by law enforcement earlier this month in the areas of Central and Northwest Louisiana. The name of the roundup was in honor of Vincent, with “Operation D-57” referencing his badge number.
A news release sent out last week by Louisiana State Police said, in part, “Trooper Vincent’s son requested we ‘find a lot of drugs’ if we used his father’s LSP unit number as the operation title, and that’s exactly what resulted.”
Several defense motions are already pending with no date yet scheduled for those or the change of venue motion to be heard.
The first change of venue motion by the defense was granted, with a jury to be selected in Bossier Parish and the trial to be held here.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court lifted a stay that had temporarily halted any forthcoming proceedings in the case.
A recusal hearing is still pending as well.
Motions had been expected to be heard by Judge Guy Bradberry earlier this week but the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal put the hearing on hold after Daigle’s defense attorneys filed a document with the 3rd Circuit.
That document, nearly 400 pages, focused on a decision by Judge Clayton Davis last week not to recuse Bradberry from the Daigle case.
Daigle’s defense team said it wanted Bradberry removed from overseeing the trial because Bradberry and Vincent’s wife Katherine Vincent, were friends on Facebook. Prosecutors said they were Facebook friends and were also acquainted through Vincent’s former employment as a supervisor with the juvenile probation system but are not close friends.
Although the recusal hearing and many defense motions are pending, jury selection is still on track to begin Monday in Bossier Parish.
Once a jury is selected, jurors will be brought here for the trial.
The trial is expected to be held in Courtroom A in the old Calcasieu Courthouse to provide more seating.
If found guilty, Daigle would face the death penalty.