Bennett denies Stafford’s appeal motions

Derrick Stafford took his first steps in appealing his conviction for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter this past Tuesday in 12th Judicial District Court in Marksville.

In March, Judge William “Billy” Bennett sentenced Stafford to 40 years in prison for the shooting death of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis and the shooting of the child’s father, Chris Few. On May 30, Bennett denied motions to reconsider the sentence and to allow Stafford to be released on bond during his appeal.

Stafford’s appeal is being handled by Metairie attorney Eric Santana.

Santana said he has requested the transcripts of the trial and of the hearings leading up to it. Once those records have been reviewed, specific issues will be identified for an appeal to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal.

Until then, Stafford will be serving his sentence in the state’s David Wade Correctional Center in Homer.

“This is what we expected,” Santana said. “It would be very rare for a motion to reconsider a sentence to be approved. We did this to preserve our rights to appeal.

“Of course, we were hoping for a reduction in sentence, but we couldn’t get that,” Santana continued. “Although we are disappointed in this outcome, we are hopeful we will prevail in the 3rd Circuit.”

Santana said a “lengthy motion listing every issue we see as grounds for appeal, with reasons to support those grounds” will be filed in the Lake Charles appeals court in several months. He said it would probably be more than a year from now before a ruling on that appeal would be handed down.

BACKGROUND

Stafford was a full-time shift supervisor with the Marksville Police Department and was moonlighting as a Marksville City Marshal’s deputy on Nov. 3, 2015.

Another moonlighting deputy marshal, Norris Greenhouse Jr., began pursuing Few, apparently for a traffic infraction, and Few refused to stop. Stafford was in a patrol unit that joined the pursuit.

When Few was hemmed in at a dead-end street, Stafford and Greenhouse fired 18 bullets into the car. Of those, 14 were matched to Stafford’s firearm and four were fired by Greenhouse.

Few was seriously wounded. Jeremy, who was seatbelted in the front seat next to Few, was killed.

Stafford had been charged with 2nd degree murder and attempted 2nd degree murder, but a jury voted 10-2 to convict on the lesser charges of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

Greenhouse is set to go on trial for 2nd degree murder and attempted 2nd degree murder on Oct. 2. A hearing on several pre-trial motions has been set for June 12.