Special to
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Attorney Bridget A. Dinvaut announced she is seeking the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney’s seat this fall.

A native of St. John Parish, Dinvaut is taking a leave of absence from the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney’s Office to participate in the 2014 election cycle.

She first served the office in misdemeanor courts and as a drug prosecutor in all three 40th Judicial District Courts.

Her additional responsibilities included supervision of the D.A.’s Office’s participation in the 40th Judicial District Drug Court Program. Dinvaut also led the Division “C” prosecution team.

She said she has administered justice in the prosecution of well over 100 cases and has a 100-percent jury trial conviction rate.

The election is Nov. 4, and qualifying for the election begins Aug. 20. The current district attorney is Tom Daley, who was elected in 2008.

Dinvaut said she ranked fourth in her class at Southern University’s Law Center and received a Juris Doctorate degree with the honor of magna cum laude. She clerked at Lemle & Kelleher, LLC in New Orleans and at the law firms of Jones Walker and Taylor Porter in Baton Rouge.

She accepted a position as an associate attorney with Lemle & Kelleher, where Senior Partners David S. Kelly, David Whitiker and Eve Masinter provided civil defense experience in transportation law and labor and employment law.

As a senior associate, Dinvaut said she represented numerous public and private clients in state and federal courts.

In 1986, Dinvaut worked with the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office under the leadership of former Sheriff Lloyd B. Johnson.

She served as an undercover narcotics officer, was assigned to the detective bureau and earned the rank of lieutenant commander of the narcotics division.

Dinvaut said she served as a federal law enforcement officer with the United States District Courts in the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Southern District of Florida from 1994 through 2002.

Dinvaut, 52, is a Democrat. She is the daughter of the late Rudolph G. Dinvaut and Corine P. Dinvaut. She is married to Michael A. Sanders.

Dinvaut has two stepchildren, Kendra and Lamar Sanders.