By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — LaPlace resident Shawn Fisher, who racked up his 86th career arrest last week, remains incarcerated in the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office Sherman Walker Correctional Center in lieu of a $75,000 bond set by Judge Sterling Snowdy.

Fisher, 44, was arrested Oct. 24 and booked with domestic abuse battery. He has been arrested, on average, 3.44 times each year for the past 25 years.

Assistant District Attorney Orenthal Jasmin said Wednesday a lengthy bond hearing discussing Fisher’s extensive criminal history — which includes at least four domestic abuse cases — was presented before Snowdy in accordance with the recently-passed Gwen’s Law, which strengthens protective orders and requires a hearing to assess the feasibility of granting bail to a person arrested on domestic abuse charges.

Fisher was already due in court this week in connection with a possession of cocaine and resisting an officer by force arrest that was previously interrupted when Fisher’s defense counsel filed a Request for Sanity Commission.

District Attorney Tom Daley said the sanity hearing was held Aug. 20, when two independent doctors found Fisher competent to stand trial.

A trial was set for Tuesday on that matter, but Jasmin said Newton Savoie, Fisher’s defense attorney, moved for a continuance based on the fact Savoie is a candidate in Jefferson Parish for a justice of the peace position and would be campaigning this week in preparation for the Nov. 4 election.

According to 40th Judicial District Court minutes, Jasmin objected to the Court’s granting of Fisher’s motion but the Court denied the state’s request and a new trial date is set for Jan. 27.