PIERCE FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS
Pre-sentence investigation ordered
After deliberating for one hour, an Evangeline Parish jury returned a guilty verdict against James Christopher Pierce, 37, who has been on trial since Monday.The jury found Pierce guilty of DWI, third offense; two counts of manslaughter and one count of first-degree vehicular negligent injury as a result of an accident which occurred on May 3, 1997, near Pine Prairie on Giant Road. In that accident, two brothers, Joshua Lee Deville, then 10 and Tyler Keith Deville, then 7, were killed and their friend, Patrick Neal Fontenot II, now 12, was seriously injured..
This trial began when jury selection began on Monday, October 19, 1998, in 13th Judicial District Judge Preston Aucoin's courtroom. At 2:12 p.m. on Monday, jury selection was completed. The jury consisted of eight men and four women. Three members of the jury were African Americans, and the alternate juror was a white woman..
Representing the state, District Attorney Brent Coreil was assisted by First Assistant District Attorney Tony Walker. Coreil's opening statement outlined the case for the jury. He said the state would prove the defendant, Pierce, who had pled "not guilty" to the charges in this case, was driving his wife's Chevrolet Celebrity at a high rate of speed when this accident occurred. Opening statements included that approximately 8 p.m., the three boys, who were riding their bikes down a two-lane gravel road, heard the gravel and moved into the ditch with their bikes..
Coreil said Pierce's vehicle left the roadway and ran over the three boys. He said the state would prove Pierce left the scene, and he was under the influence after drinking that day and smoking marijuana..
Defense attorney Blake Deshotels said the state's witnesses were biased in this case and they had axes to grind against Pierce. He said the state and the family involved in this incident had to find someone to blame. He said his client was not guilty of these crimes the state had charged him with, and Pierce was not due this punishment..
During testimony, the prosecution called Kenneth Clark to the stand. Clark testified he drank beer and smoked a joint of marijuana with Pierce. He also said Pierce had a 12-pack of beer in his car. While the two men were drinking in the car, he said Pierce asked him twice where they were. He testified that he told Pierce they were in the front yard of Bobby Taylor's mom's home..
"I should of offered to drive him home, but I didn't" Clark testified..
Bobby Taylor testified that he and Piece drank together often and on a regular basis. He said on that day in May, they were drinking and riding around together..
"Pierce was in no kinda shape to be driving," Taylor testified..
The victim's father, Lee Deville, also took the stand. He testified the boys were always together often referring to themselves as "the Three Amigos.".
He said the boys always stayed within hollering distance, and on this day they did not come when he hollered. He said his wife came out and said something was wrong so he went to look for the boys..
Deville said when he drove up to the scene, Pierce told him he had ran over three kids. When he went to investigate, he said he told Pierce to help his boys while he went to get help..
Testifying that Pierce used vulgar language in response to this plea for help, Deville explained his wife arrived and began praying over their sons. He said Pierce was "messed up." He testified Pierce smelled the alcohol..
Patrick Neal Fontenot II, who was trapped under the car, testified Pierce got into his car at one point and spun the tires..
Deville testified that several men helped him lift the car off of Fontenot. The prosecution also brought forth law enforcement officials who testified Pierce left the scene. They began searching for him, and abandoned the search at 2:30 a.m. when they could not locate him..
Pine Prairie Police Chief L.C. Deshotel testified that Pierce contacted him at approximately 4 a.m. He went to Pierce's residence to get him, and he brought him to the sheriff's office in Ville Platte. He said Pierce told him he had drank after the accident. Lt. Dwayne Fontenot of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office testified that he did not recover 10-ounce beer cans at Pierce's residence. He said Pierce told him this is what he had drunk. He said he did find one 12-ounce can of beer..
The defense brought people to the stand that testified Pierce was not drunk on the day of the accident. A brother of Pierce's testified Pierce helped the family raise their parent's house during the afternoon..
During closing arguments, the state reminded the jury of the evidence it had presented. The state argued that it had proven Pierce was under the influence..
Deshotels argued that Pierce did not take the test for measuring alcohol until eight hours after the accident. He said the state failed to prove Pierce was driving under the influence..
With the completion of this case, Coreil said he believes this is the first time this type of case results in a guilty verdict in the state of Louisiana. “We did something I don't think has ever been done under the manslaughter statute," he said..
Using the manslaughter statute and Piece’s third offense of DWI, the district attorney's office brought this case against Pierce..
Coreil said it could take six weeks for the pre-sentence investigation to be completed. He said during this investigation, his office wanted to bring forth that Pierce not only has two prior DWIs in this state, but he also served time in Texas on drug charges, and this is not the first time he has caused injuries in an accident..
Deshotels, who said he could not do anything during his suspension, would appeal this case on Judge Aucoin's errors. He said the judge allowed evidence, which no other judge in this state would allow in a courtroom and that was the alcohol test. He also said the district attorney introduced information about Pierce's character that no other prosecution would be allowed to enter in a similar case.
MADD's victim advocate impressed with district attorney's support
Gazette Mailbag October 29, 1998
Dear Editor,
I am writing in regard to the article which ran in the Ocotober 22 edition of the Gazette, concerning the trial of Christopher Pierce who was convicted of third offense DWI, two counts of manslaughter and one count of vehiclar negligent injurying. There are several issues about this case, and the ensuing article, which I wish to address.
I am the victim advocate who has worked with the Deville and Fontenot families since May of 1997, when their children were run down by a drunken Christopher Pierce. I have been in constant contact with the boys' families, and I have truly been impressed by the treatment they have received from their district attorney, Mr. Brent Coriel. As someone who has advocated for victims' rights for the past 12 years, I can attest to the fact that Mr. Coriel's support of and concern for the victims far exceeds that which I have witnessed across the state. although many prosecutors work well with victims, in my opinion none has gone to such lengths to include crime victims in the criminal justice process as Brent Coriel. INdeed, he and his staff is to be commended.
Additionallyt, the fact that Brent Coriel pursued manslaughter charges against Christopher Pierce, instead of the lesser offense of vehicular homicide, is truly historic. Never in the history of our state has such a strategy been employed bya district attorney. In fact, when a similar strategy was successfully employed bya prosecutor inNorth Carolina recently, it was of such import that CNN covered the story for several days. The recent conviction in Evangeline Parish will set a legal precedent, thus enabling other prosecutors to proceed accordingly.
Contrary to the statements made by Pierc's family that he is "not a monster" but a "good son and a good father," Mr. Pierce's driving and criminal history certainly would suggest otherwise. Since October of 1980, Christopher Pierce had been arrested a total of nine times for various crimes, including DWI, possesion of cocaine and possession of marijuana. At the time that he killed Joshua and Tyler Deville and injured Neal Fontenot, Pierce had three previous DWI convictions in Texas and two in Louisiana. (Because of restrictions in our DWI laws, only the Louisiana convictions could be used against him at trial.) Incidently, Joshua and Tyler Deville and Neal Fontenot were not Christopher Pierce's first victims: On two seperate, previous occasions, he killed one person and maimed two others.
During the trial, Lee Deville, Joshua and tyler's father, testified that when he arrived at the scene and found pierce sitting in the road, pierce announced, "I done run over me three boys." Addionally, when Mr. Deville asked Pierce to help the boys, Pierce responded, "F-you."
Certainly this is not a situation where a law-abiding citizen made a mistake or had an "accident." Christopher Pierce had a proven history of deliberately drinking and driving, and three little boys were made to pay the price for his behavior.
Sincerely, /s/Catherine M. Childers Executive Director
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