Bryan Bush (Louisiana politician)
Encyclopedia
Bryan Edward Bush, Jr. was the first Republican
of the 20th century to hold the position of district attorney
of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
. Elected in 1984, Bush took office in 1985 and resigned in 1990 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor
charge of maintaining incomplete office records. Bush had been an assistant district attorney under the two-term Democrat
Ossie Brown
, but he challenged Brown's bid for a third term. A resident of Baker
, Brown held the position from 1972-1984.
, the seat of Caddo Parish
in north Louisiana. He graduated from Southern Methodist University
in Dallas
, Texas
, where he was on the Mustangs
baseball
team and a member of the fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order
. Thereafter, he received his law degree from Louisiana State University Law Center in Baton Rouge
.
Moore, who had since been a defense attorney in private practice, won the DA's position in 2008 with the support of both Bush and Moreau. Moore handily defeated the Republican Dan Claitor
, subsequently the winner of a special election in the spring of 2009 for the Louisiana State Senate
for the seat vacated by U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy
.
, which was initially diagnosed when Bush was thirty-seven. He died at his Baton Rouge home of cardiovascular disease
at the age of seventy-six.
Bush was survived by his wife, the former Julia Taulman (born May 25, 1934); three daughters, Sallie Bush Moore and husband, Jeramie, Karen Bush Hubicz and husband, Jim, and Kathy Bush McHugh and husband, Jess; a son, Bryan E. Bush, III, and wife, Tanie; ten grandchildren, and a sister, Jo Bush Chandler. A funeral mass was said at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, and Bush was thereafter entombed at Greenoaks Memorial Park Mausoleum.
Judy Rhodes Smith of Baton Rouge, a former client of Bush's, wrote upon his death: "Many, many, years ago Bryan went over and beyond and literally saved my family from great hardship. He was an extraordinary attorney and an immeasurable friend. May he rest in peace."
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
of the 20th century to hold the position of district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Elected in 1984, Bush took office in 1985 and resigned in 1990 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
charge of maintaining incomplete office records. Bush had been an assistant district attorney under the two-term Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Ossie Brown
Ossie Brown
Ossie B. Brown was a Baton Rouge Democrat who served two six-year terms as district attorney of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, from 1972—1984. In 1970, he successfully defended United States Army Sergeant David Mitchell in the My Lai Massacre cases...
, but he challenged Brown's bid for a third term. A resident of Baker
Baker, Louisiana
Baker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baker is located at...
, Brown held the position from 1972-1984.
Background
Bush was born to Bryan Bush, Sr., and the former Sallie Mat Clingman in ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, the seat of Caddo Parish
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
in north Louisiana. He graduated from Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, where he was on the Mustangs
SMU Mustangs
The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA. In 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA, and left the Western Athletic Conference...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team and a member of the fraternity, Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order
Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions...
. Thereafter, he received his law degree from Louisiana State University Law Center in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
.
DA political matters
Bush retained the Democrat Hillar Moore, III, the current district attorney who had been an assistant to Brown, supported Brown in 1984, and was still attending law school at the time of that campaign. Douglas Moreau, a fellow Republican, succeeded Bush as district attorney in 1991, having won a landslide election in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 6, 1990. Moore described Bush as having been intent on prosecuting criminals and public officials accused of corruption. After Bush resigned as DA, he returned to the private practice of law.Moore, who had since been a defense attorney in private practice, won the DA's position in 2008 with the support of both Bush and Moreau. Moore handily defeated the Republican Dan Claitor
Dan Claitor
Daniel Albert Claitor , known as Dan Claitor, is a Baton Rouge attorney and a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate. He defeated fellow Republican Lee Domingue, a Baton Rouge businessman, in a special election held on April 4, 2009, for the District 16 seat vacated by Republican U.S....
, subsequently the winner of a special election in the spring of 2009 for the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
for the seat vacated by U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy
Bill Cassidy
William "Bill" Cassidy is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
Family and death
In his later years, Bush had been in declining health caused by multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
, which was initially diagnosed when Bush was thirty-seven. He died at his Baton Rouge home of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
at the age of seventy-six.
Bush was survived by his wife, the former Julia Taulman (born May 25, 1934); three daughters, Sallie Bush Moore and husband, Jeramie, Karen Bush Hubicz and husband, Jim, and Kathy Bush McHugh and husband, Jess; a son, Bryan E. Bush, III, and wife, Tanie; ten grandchildren, and a sister, Jo Bush Chandler. A funeral mass was said at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, and Bush was thereafter entombed at Greenoaks Memorial Park Mausoleum.
Judy Rhodes Smith of Baton Rouge, a former client of Bush's, wrote upon his death: "Many, many, years ago Bryan went over and beyond and literally saved my family from great hardship. He was an extraordinary attorney and an immeasurable friend. May he rest in peace."