Changes

In a lawsuit ''Nugent v. Phelps'' stemming from the April 2002 election for Winnfield police chief, Reeves's political opponents claimed that "as DA, Reeves rules Winn Parish through fear and terror." The suit claimed that Reeves had exerted undue pressure on Sheila White, whom he had recommended for the position of executive director of the Winnfield Housing Authority. White declined to write a $100,000 check on housing authority funds as requested by Reeves as a donation to the city for the construction of a  community center. Thereafter, Reeves began demanding various public records, including multiple requests for the same information, which she had already forwarded. The suit stemmed from three voters who were subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury during the week of the election. This prevented the three from engaging in campaigning for and casting ballots for their preferred candidate, the incumbent Chief Prentice Gleason Nugent (born c. 1949), who had first been elected in 1994. Instead, Reeves's choice for the position,<ref name=nugentsuit/> Benjamin Louis "Benji" Phelps, prevailed by four votes, 911-907.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns (Winn Parish), April 6, 2002.</ref> The court refused to order a new election as requested by Chief Nugent and his co-plaintiffs, who were removed from the suit for lack of standing. Phelps (born June 1967) subsequently moved to [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches Parish]], where he is a registered Republican voter.

In a lawsuit ''Nugent v. Phelps'' stemming from the April 2002 election for Winnfield police chief, Reeves's political opponents claimed that "as DA, Reeves rules Winn Parish through fear and terror." The suit claimed that Reeves had exerted undue pressure on Sheila White, whom he had recommended for the position of executive director of the Winnfield Housing Authority. White declined to write a $100,000 check on housing authority funds as requested by Reeves as a donation to the city for the construction of a  community center. Thereafter, Reeves began demanding various public records, including multiple requests for the same information, which she had already forwarded. The suit stemmed from three voters who were subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury during the week of the election. This prevented the three from engaging in campaigning for and casting ballots for their preferred candidate, the incumbent Chief Prentice Gleason Nugent (born c. 1949), who had first been elected in 1994. Instead, Reeves's choice for the position,<ref name=nugentsuit/> Benjamin Louis "Benji" Phelps, prevailed by four votes, 911-907.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns (Winn Parish), April 6, 2002.</ref> The court refused to order a new election as requested by Chief Nugent and his co-plaintiffs, who were removed from the suit for lack of standing. Phelps (born June 1967) subsequently moved to [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches Parish]], where he is a registered Republican voter.

One of the initial plaintiffs in ''Nugent v. Phelps'', Johnny Ray Carpenter (born July 1953), an [[Independent voter|Independent]], was elected after Reeves's death as Winnfield police chief in April 2006 by a margin of sixty-six votes.<ref name=aprilelection/>  More than a decade earlier, Carpenter had been [[pardon]]ed for a [[narcotics]] violation by then [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]], who at the time of Carpenter's election had begun serving a term for racketeering at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale in Allen Parish.</ref>

One of the initial plaintiffs in ''Nugent v. Phelps'', Johnny Ray Carpenter (born July 1953), an [[Independent voter|Independent]], was elected after Reeves's death as Winnfield police chief in April 2006 by a margin of sixty-six votes.<ref name=aprilelection/>  More than a decade earlier, Carpenter had been [[pardon]]ed for a [[narcotics]] violation by then [[Governor]] [[Edwin Edwards]], who at the time of Carpenter's election had begun serving a term for racketeering at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale in Allen Parish.

===Later years as DA===

===Later years as DA===