Paul Carmouche
Encyclopedia
Paul J. Carmouche is an American
Lawyer
who served as a five-term District Attorney
for Caddo Parish, Louisiana
from 1979 to 2009. Before his tenure as District Attorney, Carmouche graduated from Loyola University New Orleans Law School
in 1969 and worked as an assistant in the District Attorney's office from 1974 to 1977. Carmouche was also a one time candidate for the United States House of Representatives
, narrowly losing to Republican
challenger John C. Fleming
in 2008.
, the seat of Assumption Parish in south Louisiana, where he attended public schools. He received his Juris Doctor
degree in 1969 from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
, where he was President of the Law School student body. He was admitted to the State Bar of Louisiana in 1969.
Paul and his wife, Marti, live in Shreveport
and are the parents of two children.
from 1977 to 1978.
Carmouche was elected to the office of Caddo Parish District Attorney in the September 16, 1978 election at age 35, taking office on January 2, 1979. The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting all felony and misdemeanor crimes in the parish, which is the third most populous parish in Louisiana, with a 2006-census estimated population of 253,118. During Carmouche's tenure in the DA's office, new services added include a Pretrial Diversion Section, Victim/Witness Section, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Section, Child Support Division, Hot Check Section, White Collar Crimes Section, Sex Crimes Screening Unit and a Homicide Screening Unit; as well, making the office fully computerized with online information available to the public.
Carmouche is a past president of the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association, and is admitted to practice before the Federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
and the U.S. Supreme Court
.
On November 4, 2008, Carmouche procured the Democratic nomination in a runoff over the African American
attorney Willie Banks, Jr., 93,093 (62 percent) to 57,078 (38 percent).
On December 6, 2008, Carmouche lost the general election to Minden
Physician
John C. Fleming, who was the Republican nominee for the seat. Carmouche lost by a narrow 356 votes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who served as a five-term 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...
for Caddo Parish, Louisiana
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...
from 1979 to 2009. Before his tenure as District Attorney, Carmouche graduated from Loyola University New Orleans Law School
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a private law school in New Orleans, Louisiana affiliated with Loyola University New Orleans. Loyola's law school opened in 1914 and is now located on the Broadway Campus of the University in the historic Audubon Park District of the city. The College...
in 1969 and worked as an assistant in the District Attorney's office from 1974 to 1977. Carmouche was also a one time candidate for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, narrowly losing to Republican
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...
challenger John C. Fleming
John C. Fleming
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. is a Minden, Louisiana physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district...
in 2008.
Biography
Paul Carmouche was born and reared in NapoleonvilleNapoleonville, Louisiana
Napoleonville is a village in and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 686 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, the seat of Assumption Parish in south Louisiana, where he attended public schools. He received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree in 1969 from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a private law school in New Orleans, Louisiana affiliated with Loyola University New Orleans. Loyola's law school opened in 1914 and is now located on the Broadway Campus of the University in the historic Audubon Park District of the city. The College...
, where he was President of the Law School student body. He was admitted to the State Bar of Louisiana in 1969.
Paul and his wife, Marti, live in Shreveport
Shreveport, 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....
and are the parents of two children.
Law career
After graduating from law school, Carmouche joined a small civil law firm, and handled civil and criminal cases for four years, before joining the Caddo Parish District Attorney's office in October 1973 as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA). From the DA's office, he went on to serve as Chief Counsel Indigent Defender OfficePublic defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
from 1977 to 1978.
Carmouche was elected to the office of Caddo Parish District Attorney in the September 16, 1978 election at age 35, taking office on January 2, 1979. The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecuting all felony and misdemeanor crimes in the parish, which is the third most populous parish in Louisiana, with a 2006-census estimated population of 253,118. During Carmouche's tenure in the DA's office, new services added include a Pretrial Diversion Section, Victim/Witness Section, Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Section, Child Support Division, Hot Check Section, White Collar Crimes Section, Sex Crimes Screening Unit and a Homicide Screening Unit; as well, making the office fully computerized with online information available to the public.
Carmouche is a past president of the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association, and is admitted to practice before the Federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
and the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
.
2008 Congressional race for the 4th District seat
In February 2008, Carmouche announced that he would not seek re-election as District Attorney. On March 19, 2008, Carmouche announced that he would run for the Congressional seat vacated by retiring Republican Jim McCrery, who held the seat since the spring of 1988.On November 4, 2008, Carmouche procured the Democratic nomination in a runoff over the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
attorney Willie Banks, Jr., 93,093 (62 percent) to 57,078 (38 percent).
On December 6, 2008, Carmouche lost the general election to Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
Physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
John C. Fleming, who was the Republican nominee for the seat. Carmouche lost by a narrow 356 votes.