James “Sonny” Marchbanks, a Democratic candidate vying for the vacant Louisiana House District 67 seat, disclosed his past legal troubles during a candidate forum held on Thursday, April 10th, at the River Center Branch Library. The forum, hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition in partnership with The Bayou Progressive, provided a platform for Marchbanks and fellow Democrat Terry Landry, Jr. to address community concerns.
During his opening remarks, Marchbanks stated that years ago, as a college student, he “made a mistake” related to his partner’s addiction issues, which resulted in both of them getting into legal trouble. He explained that he took responsibility for his actions and persevered to complete his education, emphasizing the invaluable lessons learned from this difficult period.
While Marchbanks did not initially provide specific details of his past arrest at the forum, subsequent information reveals the extent of Marchbanks’ prior arrest and conviction. According to reports, in 2011, Marchbanks faced sixteen separate counts of drug possession and possession with intent to distribute following a narcotics investigation by the Mandeville Police Department. Authorities discovered marijuana, MDMA, cocaine, and numerous steroids at his Covington residence after executing a search warrant.
Marchbanks initially pleaded not guilty but ultimately entered a conditional guilty plea to all sixteen charges. He received a ten-year suspended sentence at hard labor for marijuana distribution and five-year suspended sentences for each of the remaining counts, all running concurrently, with five years of probation. His appeal on procedural grounds was unsuccessful.
Later in the forum, when questioned about how his arrest and conviction record impact his views on the criminal justice system, Marchbanks shared his firsthand experience of its potential unfairness. He expressed sympathy for others caught in the system, highlighting instances like an individual jailed for 40 days for inability to pay a small fishing license bond. Marchbanks stated that his experience makes him “very sympathetic to these instances” and emphasized the need to protect the community while also recognizing instances where individuals who make mistakes are “utterly destroyed” by the criminal justice system. He believes that rehabilitation and positive change are possible and that his “lived experience provides a unique and vital perspective”.
Marchbanks’ disclosure and his subsequent comments on the criminal justice system offer voters a deeper understanding of his background and perspective. As he campaigns on community-based issues such as education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, his past criminal case is could potentially be a significant factor for voters as they assess his candidacy and trustworthiness as a potential public official. The forum, however, provided an opportunity for Marchbanks to address this aspect of his past directly with the community.