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Biography of Robert Richard Bryant known to friends as Rick Bryant

PERSONAL HISTORY

Born in Bastrop, Louisiana

Raised in Port Arthur, Texas until the 7th grade

Moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana at age 13

Attended and graduated from 

• LaGrange Middle School
• LaGrange High School
• McNeese State University
• Paul M. Hebert LSU Law School

WORK HISTORY

After graduating from LSU Law School in 1977:

a. Attorney for Southwest Louisiana Legal Services - worked as an attorney assisting clients who could not afford counsel.

b.  1979 - Hired by newly elected District Attorney as an Assistant DA handling misdemeanor matters.

c.  1980 - Promoted to handle felony cases, 1 of only 4 attorneys in that division

d.  1983 - Promoted to be Chief of the Felony Division of the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office

e.  1985 - Retained by newly elected District Attorney Richard Ieyoub to serve as Chief of the Felony Division of the District Attorney’s Office

f.  1990 - Promoted by Richard Ieyoub to become First Assistant District Attorney

g.  1991 - After Richard Ieyoub was elected as Attorney General for the State of Louisiana, Rick ran for the Office of District Attorney and was elected unopposed.  Rick ran for District Attorney twice more and was elected without opposition.

h.  2005 - Rick left his position as District Attorney and ran for the position of 14th Judicial District Judge and was elected to that post

i.   2008 - Rick did not run for reelection to District Judge and joined in the law firm of Bryant & Sanders (Perry Sanders)

j.   2009 - Rick returned to the  District Attorney’s Office under DA John DeRosier as a Special Felony Prosecutor to help in the training of young prosecutors and to try numerous high profile murder cases.

AWARDS, CITATIONS, AND COMMUNITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Over the years, Rick has been the recipient of numerous awards and citations, and has been involved in numerous community works. These are just a few:

1.  RICK BRYANT/YMBC (Young Men’s Business Club), Wishing Well Golf Tournament

This annual Tournament raised tens of thousands of dollars to help grant wishes to terminally ill and severely challenged young people throughout southwest Louisiana

2.   Boy Scouts of America - Rick voluntarily served two terms as President of the Boy Scouts in Southwest Louisiana

3.   Awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Boy Scouts –This the highest civilian award given by this organization.

4.    Awarded the Law Enforcement Award given annually by the Optimist Club

5.    Awarded the Citizen of the Year Award by the Lake Charles Kiwanis Club

6.    Awarded the Triad Gold Medal Award by the Calcasieu Parish Office of Community Services

7.    Recognized as District Attorney of the Year in the State of Louisiana by Common Sense Against Crime and Crime Fighters of Louisiana

MILITARY SERVICE AND AWARDS

Rick served from 1968 to 1970 in the Vietnam War

1.  Awarded numerous certificates of achievements and overseas bars

2.  Awarded the Army Commendation Medal

3.  Awarded the Bronze Star

Rick personally prosecuted hundreds of high-profile cases in his 30 years in the District Attorney’s Office, including the Jason Reeves, Ricky Langley, Bryce Perkins, and Robin Davis and Carol Saltzman cases. Rick has frequently appeared in national media, including Nightline with Ted Koppel, Americas Most Wanted with John Walsh, 48 Hours, and Dateline.

Rick initiated and created numerous programs as District Attorney, including the Pretrial Diversion Program, which assists non-violent offenders and gives them a chance to avoid a conviction on their record upon completion of a comprehensive rehabilitative program. He also started the Cadet Program, which works hand in hand with the Pretrial Diversion Program to teach life skills and instill teamwork and discipline in juvenile offenders. Rick also created Misdemeanor Probation to monitor those sentenced for misdemeanor sentences to ensure that they comply with probationary conditions.