St. Martin Parish Council honors late prosecutor Shentell Brown with courtroom dedication

ST. MARTIN PARISH — The St. Martin Parish Council has passed a resolution to honor the memory of former Assistant District Attorney Shentell Brown, who police say was shot and killed by her husband in February. The parish will dedicate Courtroom 2 at the St. Parish Courthouse in her name.

Brown, a lifelong resident of New Iberia, was known for her passionate advocacy for domestic violence survivors, Kelly Cantu with Chez Hope Domestic Violence Crisis Center told KATC.

“She was a huge advocate for services for domestic violence survivors,” said Cantu. “I think the thing that I took most from it is that so many people suffer in silence.”

Brown served the St. Martin Parish community in the 16th Judicial District Court before her tragic death on Feb. 9.

Police say Brown, her husband Kevin and their two children were driving on Johnston Street when he pulled a gun and shot her during an argument. They say he then turned the gun on himself, and died later at a hospital.

“It is just very emotional because, unfortunately, someone so important to this community was taken away—when they didn’t have to be,” Cantu said.

At Tuesday night's meeting, Cantu presented a proclamation signed by St. Martin Parish President Pete Delcambre, officially declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Judges of the 16th JDC submitted a request last week to the parish council to name Courtroom 2 in Brown’s honor, as it is primarily used for juvenile cases—a cause that was close to her heart.

Here's the full statement, provided by Chief Judge Roger Hamilton:

The 16^th Judicial District Court judges request the St. Martin Parish Council pass a resolution in honor of Shentell Bown by naming Courtroom 2 in the St. Martin Parish Courthouse in her memory. Courtroom 2 is regularly use to handle juvenile matters.

Shentell Brown began with the 16^th Judicial District Court as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Charles L. Porter then served as a Public Defender with the 16^th Judicial Public Defenders Office representing parents in child in need of care cases. After that, she became an Assistant District Attorney with the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Although she began her ADA career in the New Iberia office, it was when she moved to the St. Martin Parish juvenile and non-support office that Shentell flourished. She soon became known to all who encountered her as empathetic and kind, while being well-prepared and just to the matters that she prosecuted. Shentell was also a caring boss, co-worker and colleague. Mrs. Brown was instrumental in our juvenile court system handling child in need of care cases, juvenile delinquency cases and support enforcement cases.

Her contributions to the juvenile court system and legal profession will be remembered and the memory of her contributions will live on for generations to come. She was someone who was really looking out for all the children in the community. It didn’t matter what the circumstances a family may be in, she was always ready to take action and meet people where they were and help them in whatever situation they might be in. Shentell Brown worked to help children avoid a life of crime. She also collaborated with the Coordinated Community Response Team at Chez Hope, a local family violence crisis center.

Just days before her death, she was updating the court on the Youth Mobile Crisis Response team and the Kinship Navigator program she had recently learned about and wanted to share with our community. Even after nearly six months, her absence is felt by all who were lucky enough to know her and love her. This honor is befitting as she loved her community dearly and her absence still is felt in the halls of the St. Martin Parish courthouse and the juvenile system in St. Martin Parish.

Brown is survived by her parents, five children, and extended family. A dedication ceremony is expected to take place in the near future.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available: