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Line 36: − In 1960, Lutes married the former Virginia Lee Marler (1935-2017), daughter of James Everett Marler, I (died 1979), and the former Wilma Bunch (1906-1995). The Luteses had two children, both of Colfax, Julianne Despino (born March 14, 1962) and husband Randall Holden Despino (born March 8, 1961), and Billy Lutes, II (born March 31, 1964), and wife Cheryl Denise Lutes (born October 25, 1966). The Luteses and Marlers are interred at Colfax Cemetery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetowntalk/obituary.aspx?n=virginia-lee-marler-lutes&pid=186639369|title=Virginia Lee Marler Lutes|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|accessdate=September 14, 2017}}</ref> +
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'''Billy Gene Lutes, I''' (December 18, 1931 – February 3, 2006), was a [[lawyer]] and [[business]]man from his native Colfax in Grant Parish, [[Louisiana]], who served as a district attorney and a judge of his state's 35th Judicial District.
'''Billy Gene Lutes, I''' (December 18, 1931 – February 3, 2006), was a [[lawyer]] and [[business]]man from his native Colfax in Grant Parish, [[Louisiana]], who served as a district attorney and a judge of his state's 35th Judicial District.
==Background==
A son of Paul E. Lutes, Sr., (1908-1984) and the former Clara Sheets (1905-1997), he enlisted in the [[United States Army]] and served in an engineering battalion in the [[Korean War]]. Thereafter, he attended the [[Baptist]]-affiliated Louisiana College in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] and then earned law degrees from both Loyola University in [[New Orleans]] and the [[University of Mississippi]] at Oxford. In addition to his Colfax law practice, he owned and operated Lutesville Sand and Gravel Company, which makes asphalt and ready-mix concrete for the construction industry.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lutes&GSfn=Billy&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=23593336&df=all&|title=Billy Gene Lutes|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=September 14, 2017}}</ref>
A son of Paul E. Lutes, Sr., (1908-1984) and the former Clara Sheets (1905-1997), he enlisted in the [[United States Army]] and served in an engineering battalion in the [[Korean War]]. Thereafter, he attended the [[Baptist]]-affiliated Louisiana College in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] and then earned law degrees from both Loyola University in [[New Orleans]] and the [[University of Mississippi]] at Oxford. In addition to his Colfax law practice, he owned and operated Lutesville Sand and Gravel Company, which makes asphalt and ready-mix concrete for the construction industry.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lutes&GSfn=Billy&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSst=20&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=23593336&df=all&|title=Billy Gene Lutes|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=September 14, 2017}}</ref>
In 1960, Lutes married the former Virginia Lee Marler (1935-2017), daughter of a prominent Colfax couple, James Everett Marler, I (died 1979), and the former Wilma Bunch (1906-1995). The Luteses had two children, both of Colfax, Julianne Despino (born March 14, 1962) and husband Randall Holden Despino (born March 8, 1961), and Billy Lutes, II (born March 31, 1964), and wife Cheryl Denise Lutes (born October 25, 1966).<ref name=obit/>
==Judicial career==
Lutes was elected district attorney in 1972 and served until his resignation on November 15, 1980. In the special election to choose Lutes' successor as DA, Robert Kennedy, an opponent of Lutes' interim successor and former law partner Joe Beck, II, of Pollock, questioned how the DA handled a shooting on Egg Farm Road on November 30, 1979; one five men involved eventually pleaded guilty to negligent homicide. Lutes' handling of the Bobby Ray Brown case came under fire when attorney Kennedy claimed that Brown should have been prosecuted for two deaths before his later indictment for manslaughter in connection with a barroom brawl. Kennedy further claimed that brutal crimes were not prosecuted because of what he called "laziness or incompetence."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/216344586/|title=Candidates for DA in Grant Exchange Stinging Criticisms|publisher=''The Alexandria Daily Town Talk|date=April 2, 1981|page=1|accessdate=September 15, 2017}}</ref>
Lutes was elected district attorney in 1972 and served until his resignation on November 15, 1980. In the special election to choose Lutes' successor as DA, Robert Kennedy, an opponent of Lutes' interim successor and former law partner Joe Beck, II, of Pollock, questioned how the DA handled a shooting on Egg Farm Road on November 30, 1979; one five men involved eventually pleaded guilty to negligent homicide. Lutes' handling of the Bobby Ray Brown case came under fire when attorney Kennedy claimed that Brown should have been prosecuted for two deaths before his later indictment for manslaughter in connection with a barroom brawl. Kennedy further claimed that brutal crimes were not prosecuted because of what he called "laziness or incompetence."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/216344586/|title=Candidates for DA in Grant Exchange Stinging Criticisms|publisher=''The Alexandria Daily Town Talk|date=April 2, 1981|page=1|accessdate=September 15, 2017}}</ref>
Lutes sat on the boards of the Alexandria Country Day School in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], Louisiana, and of the Kisatchie Delta Law Enforcement agency. He was a member of the Masonic lodge and a Shriner. He was an [[Eagle Scout]] and past den leader of the Attakapas Council of the [[Boy Scouts of America]] at Alexandria Country Day School. He was a board member of St. Philip's [[Episcopalian|Episcopal Church]] in Boyce in northwestern Rapides Parish.<ref name=obit/>
Lutes sat on the boards of the Alexandria Country Day School in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], Louisiana, and of the Kisatchie Delta Law Enforcement agency. He was a member of the Masonic lodge and a Shriner. He was an [[Eagle Scout]] and past den leader of the Attakapas Council of the [[Boy Scouts of America]] at Alexandria Country Day School. He was a board member of St. Philip's [[Episcopalian|Episcopal Church]] in Boyce in northwestern Rapides Parish.<ref name=obit/>
The Luteses and Marlers are interred at Colfax Cemetery.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thetowntalk/obituary.aspx?n=virginia-lee-marler-lutes&pid=186639369|title=Virginia Lee Marler Lutes|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|accessdate=September 14, 2017}}</ref>
==References==
==References==