Prosecutor: Apple noncompliance means 'vital' evidence missing in manslaughter trial
Bail for an Alexandria man facing a manslaughter charge was dropped Monday over objections of a prosecutor because the defendant didn't get a speedy trial.
Roosevelt Jauqvours London Jr., 21, was arrested on a second-degree murder charge by the Alexandria Police Department in the May 2023 shooting of Pineville resident Skyler Jayden Delaney, 18. He later was formally charged with manslaughter.
In December, 9th Judicial District Court Judge Patricia Koch granted a defense motion that sought a trial within 120 days after both the Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office and London's attorney, Jermaine Harris, said they were ready for trial.
A March 4 date was selected, but that changed in late February.
Assistant Rapides Parish District Attorney Brian Cespiva had filed a motion to continue the trial because "vital cellular phone and social media evidence remains unobtainable at this time and will likely not be obtained by the trial date."
Koch granted the continuance over Harris' objection, but also ordered London's bail be reduced to $100,000. Despite that, London remained in jail.
When the parties assembled before Koch Monday, Cespiva said Apple has not complied with a subpoena for location information from two cellphones involved in the case, even offering a letter from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Office's Digital Forensics Unit into evidence to back up what he was saying.
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Harris did not object to that, but he did ask for London to be relieved of his bail obligation since the speedy trial would not be happening. Koch granted his request, ruling that London could be released on his own recognizance.
Cespiva objected.
London left the Rapides Parish Detention Center #1 at 12:15 p.m., according to online jail records. A new trial has been set for Dec. 9, according to online Rapides Parish Clerk of Court records.
In other cases before Koch's court on Monday:
Leandra Tenell McNeal was allowed to withdraw pleas he made in November in the June 2022 death of motorcyclist Kobe Bordelon. McNeal had pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run involving death or serious injury and no contest to a reduced felony charge of negligent homicide. His sentencing was set for Feb. 26, but twice was continued until Cespiva and McNeal's attorney, George Higgins III, met with Koch in private Monday. After that meeting, Koch granted a motion to withdraw the pleas. A trial was set for Dec. 9.
Koch found probable cause to continue with the case of Jessica Marie Bledsoe, a 29-year-old woman arrested by the Alexandria Police Department on a second-degree murder charge in the late March death of Colfax resident James Morrow Ingram, 68. She has not been formally charged yet. A hearing to reduce her $200,000 bail was continued until June 12.
A manslaughter charge against Telvin Da Shawn Gullette, 33, was dropped after he was indicted by a Rapides Parish grand jury in the Dec. 31, 2023, death of Tre'Wande Vallery, 21. He pleaded not guilty, and a pretrial conference was set for June 12. Cespiva also asked for Vallery's bail to be increased. Koch set bail at $250,000, but ruled that a previously posted bond of $100,000 be factored into that. He remains in jail as of Monday afternoon, according to online jail records.
A plea date for Mark Damian DeClouet was continued until June 24. DeClouet was a psychiatric nurse practitioner when he was arrested by the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office on Feb. 2, 2023, accused of human trafficking, drug offenses and more. In addition to practicing in Alexandria, he also worked in Lafayette. DeClouet was arrested on more criminal conspiracy and drug offenses in September 2023. He was formally charged with three counts of criminal conspiracy, three counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance III with intent to distribute and one count of human trafficking.
The June 24 second-degree murder trial date for Henry Dubea was removed from the docket, and a hearing on appointing a sanity commission was set to continue on that date. Dubea is accused of killing his stepbrother, 29-year-old Henry Dorty Jr., on June 1, 2021, at the Buhlow Lake boat launch. Dubea's attorney, Ed Tarpley, filed a motion for a sanity commission on May 3.
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Bail dropped for Alexandria manslaughter defendant after trial delay
