Special to
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Saying “it is vital to public safety that St. John the Baptist Parish have an experienced criminal prosecutor heading this office,” District Attorney Tom Daley is seeking re-election to a second term.

The election is scheduled Nov. 4. Early voting will be held from Oct. 21-28, except Oct. 25, at the Registrar of Voters Offices in the Percy Hebert Building in LaPlace and the West Bank Courthouse in Edgard.

“We will continue to forcefully prosecute those people who break the law, offer assistance where appropriate to those who truly need help and protect the rights of the victims of crime,” Daley said.

“Our child support collection efforts will remain strong so children do not suffer for lack of parental support.”

Daley said his office is one of the most productive and efficient in the state, and pointed to the first five years of his six-year term, where it has prosecuted 109,033 cases; 7,862 misdemeanors, 2,316 felonies and 97,816 traffic citations. Additionally, 1,039 DWI cases were prosecuted with a 97.9 percent conviction rate.

“We were also recognized as being the best in Louisiana for child support enforcement in 2013,” Daley said, adding more than $21 million in fines has been collected, allowing the office to be largely self-supported.

“In fact, we transfer half of the balance in the criminal court fund to the parish each year to pay for government services, $619,525 since 2009, which keeps taxes down.”

A program to reduce the number of repeat offenders is in place, new procedures have been enacted for identifying and offering assistance to offenders with substance abuse issues, community service options are more numerous and vast improvements have been made to the D.A.’s office’s technology systems and Internet presence.

Daley has been a licensed attorney for 36 years and has dedicated his life to serving in and improving the criminal justice system.

Previously, Daley was a judge for 18 years with service on the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal and as a district judge in St. John.

He was selected as Judge of the Year by the Louisiana Bar Foundation.

He holds a masters in law degree from the University of Virginia, a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, New Orleans and a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University.

He is a past member of the Louisiana Judicial College, the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics and has taught law at Delgado and LSU.

For many years, Daley has served as chairman of Keep St. John Beautiful and the St. John Shade Tree Committee.

He is a past member of the 4-H Foundation and a former president of the Belle Terre II Civic Association as well as serving on the advisory board of Get High on Life.

He is a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Daley and his wife Margaret have been married for 32 years and, along with their two adult children, are parishioners of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, where he volunteers as a Catechism teacher.