Success Stories

On March 19, 2024, our client, Emmalou Johnson, was acquitted of Second-Degree Murder. The verdict was rendered by the Honorable Kendrick Guidry. Our client is only 18 years old, and was only 16 at the time of her arrest. Unfortunately, the District Attorney’s office chose to try her as an adult. It was our pleasure, along with the Johnson Firm, to assist her and her mother in obtaining justice. We believe that Emmalou should have never been arrested or charg… Read More

On December 10, 2021, Zoey was 18 years old, living on her own and surviving the only way that she knew. She was a prostitute. Unfortunately, she was also heavily addicted to Methamphetamine and Roxicodone. On that date Sean Khoury, who was 33 years old, solicited her services. He met her at a motel in Sulphur, LA. They snorted Roxicodone together, that she provided, and unfortunately Mr. Khoury overdosed. Zoey Marie Bumgarden was arrested by the Sulphur Police… Read More

At the beginning of 2023, Aaron Guillory retained our firm to represent him in an intrafamily adoption proceeding in the 36th JDC. In that proceeding, the grandparents of Mr. Guillory’s minor child petitioned the court for them to adopt the child against Mr. Guillory’s wishes. The judge unfortunately granted the adoption terminating Mr. Guillory’s parental rights. As a result, we appealed the judge’s ruling with the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. Third… Read More

On March 10, 2014, our client, Michael Augustine, shot and killed Uriah Joseph in New Iberia. However, he did not commit a crime. It was a justifiable homicide and committed in self-defense. Michael was near his home, at a place he had a legal right to be, when he was approached and threatened. He did not have a duty to retreat. As permitted by Louisiana law, he “stood his ground” and met force with force. However, Michael was arrested for Second-Degree Mur… Read More

At the conclusion of a hearing on October 23, 2023, Judge Ronald F. Ware granted the Motion to Suppress that we filed on behalf of our client, Antonio Darrell Swann. The result is that the District Attorney’s Office is prohibited from using as evidence the approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl and 8 kilograms of cocaine that the police unlawfully seized. On April 12, 2023, Mr. Swann was pulled over on Interstate 10 between Lake Charles and Iowa. The alleged v… Read More

John Henry Guion is 73 years old and had never been arrested, much less convicted, of any crimes in his life. On February 12, 2017 his life was turned upside down when an eight (8) year old girl falsely accused him of inappropriate contact. This was reported to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. An investigation commenced along with our client’s nightmare. On May 18, 2018, John was indicted by a Calcasieu Parish Grand Jury for Oral Sexual Battery. He fa… Read More

On August 16, 2019, 17-year-old Gavon Lewis was fatally shot in New Iberia. On September 17, 2019 our client, Kenray Ledet was arrested. His bond was set at $845,000. He was subsequently charged with Conspiracy to Commit Second Degree Murder. Because our client was not taken to trial within the time frame prescribed by statute, our office filed a motion for his release. After hearing of our motion, in February of 2020, the Court reduced Mr. Ledet’s bond to $2… Read More

On June 7, 2018, a 5-year nightmare commenced. Our client, Gerald John Valerie, was falsely accused of the sexual battery of a nine (9) year old boy. This was a child that Gerald was mentoring and tutoring at the request of the boy’s grandmother. Gerald is 65 years of age. He had never been arrested nor convicted of any crimes in his life. He was gainfully employed by the Calcasieu Parish School Board as an I.T. Teacher at Molo Middle School. Unfortunately, t… Read More

On July 3, 2021, a Lafayette jury wrongfully convicted our client Carlos Anthony Toby. They reached the proper verdict of Not Guilty on the Second-Degree Murder charge. However, they erroneously convicted him of Conspiracy to Commit Second-Degree Murder. Fortunately, the Third Circuit Court of Appeal provided long delayed justice. The Court reversed Mr. Toby’s conviction and vacated the twenty-five (25) year sentence that was imposed a year ago. As was explai… Read More

Our client, R. Bernard, was pulled over and unlawfully detained after a traffic stop by a Louisiana State Police trooper. During that stop, his Fourth Amendment rights were violated when law enforcement officers illegally searched his vehicle discovering 7 pounds of cocaine. To protect our client’s interests and constitutional rights, we filed a Motion to Suppress requesting that the Court suppress any and all evidence seized as a result of the unlawful searc… Read More

Daniel Jay Vinatieri was falsely accused by the U. S. Department of Justice of a crime that allegedly occurred over 10 years ago! On April 14, 2021 twelve jurors unanimously found him NOT GUILTY! The ”investigation” in this case commenced in February of last year and was prompted by an “anonymous” tip fueled by jealousy. It resulted in our client being indicted in October. This was the first trial in the Lafayette/Lake Charles division of the Western Di… Read More

We are pleased that Tori Broussard was able to bond out of the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center on March 3, 2021. She is being unjustly prosecuted for two murders that she did not commit and did not have any role in their commission. We commend the Honorable Judge Derrick Kee for having the courage to reduce her bond on yesterday from $300,000.00 to $75,000.00. This was done at the conclusion of a lengthy hearing in which the lead detective from the Sheriff… Read More

Dennis Bartie is charged with Second Degree Murder in the death of Rose Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1998. Due to his blatant bias against Mr. Bartie, and clear favoritism towards the State, we filed a Motion to Recuse the Honorable Judge G. Michael Canaday from presiding over the case. The Honorable Judge Clayton Davis ruled in favor of Mr. Bartie and ordered that Judge Canaday should be recused. He ordered that the Clerk of Court randomly re-allot our c… Read More

The state Supreme Court determined in July 2017 that a Lake Charles man, Woodrow Karey, Jr., accused of fatally shooting pastor Ronald Harris, 51, during a revival service at Tabernacle of Praise in 2013 will be charged with manslaughter instead of second-degree murder. The defense, Todd Clemons & Associates and the Johnson Firm, filed a motion in August 2014 to quash the second indictment — claiming that the District Attorney’s Office had reneged on an… Read More

The case involving Woodrow Karey, Jr. was a highly emotional one, and on April 11, 2018 it reached an emotional, but rewarding, ending. After a week-long trial, a jury of 12 everyday citizens found Woodrow Karey, Jr. not guilty of manslaughter in the killing of Ronald Harris on September 27, 2013. The jury went out for deliberation around 2:33 p.m. and reached the not guilty verdict around 5:30 p.m. We were overwhelmed with gratitude that our client, Mr. Woodro… Read More

A major development in the case of our client, former Deputy Chief Thomas Bell, occurred on August 7, 2018. Our client was charged with Malfeasance in Office and Abuse of Office and on August 7th, the District Attorney’s Office dismissed all charges against our client. Although our firm is pleased with the decision of the District Attorney’s Office to dismiss these charges, we strongly believe the charges should have never been filed in the first pl… Read More

Our client, Dennis Bartie, is currently charged with Second Degree Murder in the accused killing of Rose Born in Lake Charles, LA in 1998. On March 22, 2018, the Third Circuit Court of Appeal ruled in favor of our client and ruled that the confession given to the Lake Charles Police Department by Mr. Bartie would be thrown out, and not allowed to be used by the State against our client. Third Circuit’s Ruling stated, “Approximately 58 minutes into t… Read More

On October 4, 2017, a jury found our client, Jason Miller, not guilty of Aggravate Rape. Our firm was very thankful that a jury was able to see through the false allegations and was able to declare Mr. Miller a free man. Mr. Miller who had been incarcerated since his indictment was able to walk out the jail on the date he was found not guilty and finally return home. Attorney Todd S. Clemons represented Mr. Miller at trial and stated after the trial, “Our cli… Read More

In February 2005, ADG entered into a written agreement with K.P. Auto Sales to assign all of its rights and obligations under an already entered leased agreement for improvements on a property. As a part of that agreement KP Auto Sales was responsible for paying all real property taxes including assessments for local improvements, merchandise, inventory, fixtures, etc. As a result, KP Auto Sales paid all applicable taxes each year and, in turn, ADG agreed to re… Read More

Attorney Todd S. Clemons zealously represented Mr. Dameon Fusilier when he was on trial for Impersonating a Peace Officer. After the trial commenced, the jury of six only deliberated for 22 minutes before returning a Not Guilty verdict. Mr. Clemons stated, “To have such a short deliberation clearly shows that one, they clearly believed my client, and secondly, the state had a very, very weak case.” Read More