St. Charles Parish President Larry Cochran pleaded no contest to first offense DWI in Jefferson Parish on Monday, according to a report by FOX8Live.com.
Cochran received a suspended prison sentence of 120 days, four days of community service and was fined $350. A reckless driving charge was dismissed.
He was arrested in September of 2017 in Kenner after another motorist called police to report erratic driving about the road during early morning hours. According to the arrest report, a responding officer said Cochran’s eyes were red and glassy and his speech was slurred when he found Cochran’s SUV.
However, Cochran, 57, had no detectable alcohol in his system when he took a Breathalyzer test. According to police, he performed poorly on a field-sobriety test, which Cochran attributed to bad knees following a 2015 surgery. Blood samples were taken as a result and revealed there was no alcohol in his system but apparently detected three prescription painkillers, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, according to Kenner police.
Cochran initially enrolled in a pre-trial diversion program, but did not finish its terms. He said he chose to resign from the program in order to finish receiving medical procedures for injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident he was involved in during April 2018.
The two tier justice system is alive and well. The average citizen would have been immediately jailed for not completing the diversion program. The average citizen would not get a suspended sentence, 4 days community service and a $350 fine. This is why the American people don’t trust the local, state and federal government. The legacy corruption in Louisiana continues on.