The defense continued presenting its case Tuesday in the federal bribery trial of longtime prosecutor Gary Haynes.
Among those testifying were a former Lafayette Mayor-President and a former Lafayette City Court Judge.
Haynes was indicted last fall, accused of conspiracy, bribery and obstruction charges. To read the indictment, scroll down. He's accused of using his position over the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Pretrial Diversion program to solicit bribes from companies that provided required programs to people who participated in the program.
A jury was seated last week, and the government rested its case yesterday. The defense began calling witnesses Monday afternoon. To read that story, click here.
On Tuesday, former Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory and former Lafayette City Court Judge Michelle Odinet testified.
Odinet was elected in 2020, took office in 2021 and before the end of her first year had resigned after a video was shared online in which a woman can be heard using the n-word to refer to a would-be burglar who was captured at her home. The incident happened at Odinet's residence, and Odinet confirmed it was her on the video. Initially she said she had taken a sedative, but after a few weeks she took responsibility for the comments and resigned as a Lafayette City Judge. To read those stories, click here, here and here. State legal officials investigated the incident; read about that here.
On Tuesday, Odinet testified about how she came in office to find an "incredible" backlog of cases because of COVID lockdowns. She talked about how she tried to move cases along, and her frustrations in doing so. She testified that she has known Haynes for 30 years and worked with him because he was the City Prosecutor when she was the judge.
Under cross examination, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Loew asked Odinet about a conversation she had with Haynes about the FBI possibly listening to their phone conversations. She said she was concerned about the FBI listening to her calls.
"It was just a feeling you got," she said.
Loew seemed taken aback and said he was "confused." He asked Odinet if she thought the FBI was listening to her calls because she had just started a job as city court judge.
"It would be ludicrous for the FBI not to," she said.
Odinet said that, in City Court, "nothing was private. As you walk through the courthouse everything" is being recorded on video and audio, she said.
"Even on our phones," she said.
"Your phone and Mr. Haynes' phones?" Loew asked.
"Everybody's phones," Odinet responded. "Marketing listens to everybody's phone."
Guillory, who also is a lawyer, testified that there was no pretrial diversion program in City Court when he took office, and he felt there should be one because it could be a solution to a backlog of cases after COVID. He said he did once say that Haynes would be fired from his post as City Prosecutor if the program wasn't up and running ASAP - but also said he "walked that back" after several members of his team explained it wasn't that easy to set one up.
Guillory said that Dusty Guidry, who already has pleaded guilty and has emerged as a central character, if not the lynchpin, of the alleged bribery scheme, was involved in some discussions, until Guillory's City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan "pulled the plug on everything associated with that dude."
Guillory said he did appoint Guidry to the Cajundome Commission, but only because someone recommended him for the position. He didn't recall who made the recommendation.
Guillory said the city had worked out a contract with Leonard Franques, the businessman who pleaded guilty in the scheme, but "it never got off the ground." He said he didn't vet contractors for ethics and legitimacy; there were lots of city-parish employees who did that.
Opening statements were made last week. To read about that, click here.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Walker is prosecuting the case, and Lake Charles attorney and former federal prosecutor Todd Clemons is defending Haynes.
If convicted on all six charges, Haynes faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million or more; the conspiracy to launder money allows a fine twice the value of any money he's convicted of trying to launder.
KATC Investigates has been covering this case for several years; here's some background on this case:
The indictment alleges that Haynes, 66, of Lafayette, conspired with Dusty Guidry, Leonard Franques, and others to solicit bribes and kickbacks and to accept things of value while Haynes was an Assistant District Attorney in the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Guidry and Franques already have pleaded guilty, along with a business owner, Joseph Prejean. Franques pleaded guilty on January 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Guidry pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023, to two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Prejean pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official in the Lafayette Parish District Attorney's Office. All three men are scheduled to be sentenced next month; Guidry has testified but Franques and Prejean have not.
According to the indictment, Haynes oversaw the D.A.’s Office’s Pretrial Intervention (PTI) program–a program that offered an alternative to criminal prosecution for certain criminal offenders. Haynes approved defendants to participate in the program and then directed them to take classes from Franques’ companies.
Haynes is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, two counts of using his cell phone in aid of bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and obstruction of justice.
After his indictment, we reached out to Clemons, who sent us the following statement:
"Gary is relieved that he can finally commence the process of clearing his good name. Gary is a good and hardworking man. He served the citizens of Lafayette Parish with distinction for many years. He has lived under the cloud, and the enormous stress, of overtly being investigated by our federal government for well over two years.
"The prosecutors authored an Indictment that tells a false story. A falsehood created by weak and less than honorable men pressured into cooperating with the Department of Justice. Gary Joseph Haynes is an honorable man of integrity. He will stand tall and fight these false allegations until he is exonerated by twelve of his peers."
Here's a copy of the indictment against Haynes:
To read more background from KATC Investigates, click here and here.
