Louisiana Political News Service

A WAFB 9 News investigation involving the newly-elected Police Chief of Maringuoin

WAFB TV
BY PAUL GATES
(excerpt)

John Simien won over the incumbent chief by only three votes in what turned out to be a hotly contested election in September, but it wasn't until after the election that we learned of Simien's past that may come as a shock.

"I have been arrested but I've never been convicted of anything," replied Simien.

A Baton Rouge Police document shows a theft by shoplifting charge in Baton Rouge in 1968 against John E. Phillips -- a name John E. Simien told us he has used. There is no further information.

We did find public records related to Simien's arrest in 1984 for attempted crime against nature.

According to a Baton Rouge police arrest report, Simien offered oral sex to an undercover police officer at Lafayette Park. The detective wrote in his report "subject stated if it was alright to give detective oral sex at which time he reached over and grabbed detective." At that time the detective wrote, "I identified myself as a police officer and advised subject he was under arrest."

In 1989 Simien was arrested in Iberville Parish. The arrest report says, "the charge stems from Simien forcing [the alleged victim] to have anal sex with him at knife point." Simien was booked into jail. A grand jury later returned a no true bill meaning there was no indictment. No other information was available. The charges were apparently dropped.

In March 2006 Simien and three other men were in a BREC park near midnight. Simien received a summons for trespassing in a BREC park after dark and for possessing alcohol in a BREC park, both misdemeanors. Simien plead guilty and was sentenced to 30 days jail time, suspended and one year unsupervised probation with instructions to avoid crime/alcohol/drugs.

Simien's guilty plea means he was convicted of the charges against him.

A few months later, in September, a few weeks before he was elected to office, Police Chief-elect Simien received another summons in Baton Rouge for open container and admitted to the officer he was drinking while driving. Simien was to have been arraigned on that charge November 2. According to city court, he pled guilty to those charges and was instructed on November 2 to attend DWI school, 32 hours of community service and undergo a substance abuse evaluation.

He is to be sentenced on these latest charges March 2, 2007.

LPNS COMMENTARY: GREAT JOB PAUL!!!!!!!!!!! This guy won by 3 votes. Another example of why every informed vote counts!