Larose man sentenced to life in prison following child-rape conviction
A Larose man was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of raping a pre-teen girl multiple times over several years.
A 12-member jury found Timothy Falgout, 37, guilty April 23 of first-degree rape of a victim under 13. The jury deliberated for just over an hour before handing down the unanimous guilty verdict, prosecutors said.
It marked the first jury trial in Lafourche Parish since the pandemic began in March 2020.
Following his conviction, Falgout was taken into custody and held without bond. After Falgout’s request for a new trial and post-verdict judgment of acquittal were denied June 24, state District Judge Steven Miller sentenced him to life behind bars without parole, probation or early release, according to court records.
Louisiana Supreme Court denies rehearing for former Lafourche councilman
The Louisiana Supreme Court denied a rehearing request for a former Lafourche Parish councilman convicted of falsifying public records.
In a 4-3 decision June 29, the court denied a request for a new hearing by James Bourgeois, who was convicted in 2018 of filing falsely declaring he was a permanent resident of the district.
The court voted 4-3 in May to reinstate the conviction after an appeals court overturned it last year.
Chief Justice John Weimer of Thibodaux and Justices Piper Griffin and Jefferson Hughes III cast the three dissenting votes in both rulings.
Authorities are shedding more light on the circumstances leading to the arrest of a 78-year-old Golden Meadow man accused of killing his wife four decades ago.
Chester Vegas Sr. is charged with second-degree murder, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said. He is accused of gunning down his 32-year-old wife, Diane Vegas, on Oct. 10, 1977.
Diane Vegas’ body was found at a restaurant called The Chicken House at 1908 N. Bayou Drive in Golden Meadow. Deputies found her body with a single gunshot wound to her back.
The Daily Comet reported in 1977 that Diane Vegas had been an employee at the restaurant, which her husband owned.
The state s highest court has reinstated the conviction and sentence for a former Lafourche Parish councilman accused of falsely declaring he was a permanent resident of his district.
After hearing evidence from both sides in March, the Louisiana Supreme Court Thursday reinstated the conviction for James Bourgeois, who was convicted in 2018 of filing false public records.
The case now heads back to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge.
Following Bourgeois’ conviction by a six-member jury, District Judge Steven Miller gave him a suspended three-year sentence and ordered him to serve two years of supervised probation and 200 hours of community service.