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Judge denies early release for man convicted of killing 7 in drunk driving crash
WBRZ ^ | January 13, 2026 | Staff

Posted on 01/15/2026 2:39:55 PM PST by xxqqzz

CLINTON — An East Feliciana judge denied an early release for a man who killed seven people in a 2012 drunk driving crash.

Brett Gerald pleaded guilty to seven counts of vehicular homicide after he drunkenly drove on La. 67 in Slaughter, causing a head-on collision that killed a family of six and their friend. His blood-alcohol concentration at the time was nearly twice the legal limit, and he has a history of DUI arrests.

Gerald was originally sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for each count, a total of 70 years. However, his sentence was cut in half a few months later due to a Supreme Court ruling, and he was re-sentenced to five years per count. He is required to serve 85 percent of that sentence.

On Tuesday morning, Gerald and his attorneys attempted to get him out of jail on a post-conviction relief petition, claiming he had ineffective counsel at the time of his trial. Judge Sydney Picou Walker denied the motion, keeping Gerald in jail for the time being.

(Excerpt) Read more at wbrz.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: dui
He originally got 70 years for killing 7 people driving drunk on the wrong side of the highway. Was reduced to 35 years. Been in for 13 years and tried to get out claiming ineffective counsel at trial
1 posted on 01/15/2026 2:39:55 PM PST by xxqqzz
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To: xxqqzz
drunkenly drove on La. 67 in Slaughter, causing a head-on collision that killed a family of six and their friend.

Slaughter in Slaughter ... you just can't make this stuff up.

Good on the judge denying early release!

2 posted on 01/15/2026 2:42:31 PM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: xxqqzz

So if you want to commit mass murder, use a vehicle and be drunk.


3 posted on 01/15/2026 2:47:22 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
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To: xxqqzz

Unfortunately for him, he was not an illegal or he’d be out free again.


4 posted on 01/15/2026 3:04:11 PM PST by Responsibility2nd (Import the third world. Become the second world.)
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To: xxqqzz

Actually I don’t care to know where or what La67 and Slaughter are. Mainly it’s funny that these news blogs think that anyone knows what they are talking about.


5 posted on 01/15/2026 3:18:19 PM PST by Seruzawa ("The political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence." -Marx the Smarter (Groucho.))
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To: xxqqzz

He should be executed for that crime.


6 posted on 01/15/2026 3:31:16 PM PST by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: xxqqzz

The guy purposefully got drunk and drove into people, killing them.

He should get capital punishment in the form he gave it out.


7 posted on 01/15/2026 3:45:38 PM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: xxqqzz

Gerald was originally sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for each count,


hard labor?


8 posted on 01/15/2026 3:54:00 PM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere)
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To: xxqqzz

He should have gotten the death penalty, IMO.

Be that as it may, thank God for a judge with some common sense.


9 posted on 01/15/2026 3:58:20 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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