State of Louisiana vs. Ramus Benoit

At the age of 17, Ramus J. Benoit was convicted of murdering Gene Madden in Calcasieu Parish in 1981. Ramus was sentenced to life in prison. After serving 35 years in Angola, Ramus Benoit was able to be released after a U.S Supreme Court Ruling stating that it was unconstitutional for a juvenile to face a life sentence without parole. Attorney Todd S. Clemons worked closely with the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office in order to get Mr. Benoit released from prison.

Mr. Clemons stated, "This man is a totally different person than the one that went in at Angola. He was a good young man at the time; he just committed a very vicious crime. He was under the influence of narcotics - Quaaludes at the particular time - but he's not a threat to society. He's truly been rehabilitated and I think this is truly a success story."