St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney: Bridget A. Dinvaut announces re-election bid

Published 7:56 am Wednesday, July 8, 2020

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LAPLACE– With a continued commitment to Public Safety and Restorative Justice, Bridget A. Dinvaut announces her intent to seek re-election as your District Attorney. Standing firmly on the accomplishments, achievements, and strides made by her office during her first term, Bridget A. Dinvaut’s desire to lead, grow and advance her commitment to fair and equal justice makes her vision for a second term paramount. Dinvaut’s fundamental principles and approach in her role as the District Attorney and life echo the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “ Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere… Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”

Under her leadership and administration, the District Attorney’s office ensures justice is served by seeking the truth. Only crimes supported by evidence, facts, and law are prosecuted. Victims and survivors of violent crimes are informed, their voices heard, their opinions and feelings considered in the prosecution of these crimes. First time and low risk offenders are given opportunities to rehabilitate, participate in life skills and work readiness programs, and offered treatment. Dinvaut’s approach is not just about jail sentences and identifying those who need help, but implementing programs and initiatives that invest resources in our community. Dinvaut implemented her first diversion program six months after taking office, May 2015. The St. John District Attorney’s office Opportunity Now Program has been successful and currently boasts a 97% employment rate for the 65 individual graduates from the program.  To date, only three graduates have re-offended.

Bridget A. Dinvaut has 35 plus years of qualified experience and institutional knowledge in the criminal justice system. During her career she has proven her commitment to seek the truth in equal and fair justice, working to hold violent and habitual offenders accountable, while promoting and facilitating crime prevention, rehabilitation and restorative justice programs at work, in schools and throughout communities.

Dinvaut, the oldest daughter of military veterans, coaches, and educators, understands the importance of education and training to address crime prevention and awareness; that’s why she created the Education Matters Program.   “Education Matters” includes among other things, mentoring students in her “Tool Box” Initiative, wherein students are encouraged to build productive academic, social, economic, and spiritual toolboxes to use in effective decision-making and conflict resolution. “Education Matters” also provides seniors with information to prevent and protect them from abuse and fraudulent scams, victim and witness information to assist in understanding courtroom proceedings, community outreach and informational meetings regarding domestic violence, mental health, youth empowerment, and criminal record expungement seminars.

By law, the District Attorney is the legal advisor to the St. John Parish Governing Authority, St. John the Baptist Parish School Board, the Library Board of Control, the River Parishes Tourist Commission, and many other public boards and commissions. In that role, Dinvaut’s priority is to work with these entities and their staff to ensure compliance with the Sunshine laws to promote transparency for taxpaying citizens and provide legal advice that protects tax dollars from possible exposure to waste, fraud, abuse, and unnecessary lawsuits.

Bridget A. Dinvaut has bona-fide credentials to serve as District Attorney. She is a former bounty hunter, St. John Parish Sheriff’s detective and Lieutenant Commander, federal law enforcement officer, federal presentence investigator, federal safety instructor, corporate defense litigator, assistant district attorney, and lead felony prosecutor.

Dinvaut is recognized as a leader, not only in St. John Parish, but statewide. She is currently serving her fourth year as a member of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association. In 2016, Governor John Bell Edwards appointed Dinvaut to the State of Louisiana’s Re-Entry Advisory Council. Most recently, June 12, 2020, Governor John Bel Edwards appointed District Attorney Dinvaut to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice.

She was born, raised, educated, and lives in St. John the Baptist Parish. St. John parish is her home and she is committed to making our parish safe and investing time and resources in our future. She is dedicated to protecting the rights of all citizens and working with criminal justice stakeholders to uphold the law and engage in the fair and equal administration of justice.

District Attorney Dinvaut is seeking re-election to a second term as St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney. She is proud and humbled to serve and protect St. John Parish.   “This is my home, this is my community, these are my families, the protection of this Parish is personal to me” said Dinvaut

Her highest priority and solemn pledge to the citizens of St. John parish is to pray for wisdom and equal justice in all matters, hold violent and habitual offenders accountable in accordance with the law, facts and evidence, engage and include community partners in the process, support victims and witnesses of crimes, and continue to develop strategies in crime prevention and rehabilitation for our youth and juvenile offenders.