F.O. "Potch" Didier
| Fabius Odell "Potch" Didier, Jr. | |
|---|---|
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Sheriff of Avoyelles Parish Louisiana, USA |
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In office 1960 – July 1980 |
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| Preceded by | T. Jack Jeansonne |
| Succeeded by | Bill Belt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 17, 1919 Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | September 10, 2007 (aged 87) Mansura, Avoyelles Parish |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) |
(1) Missing (2) Julia D. Didier |
| Children |
Marcel Furlow Didier |
| Alma mater | Centenary College of Louisiana |
| Occupation | Law-enforcement officer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
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(1) Didier's trial for malfeasance in office was one of the most sensational events to have occurred in his native Avoyelles Parish. He was given a seven-day sentence in his own jail, an event which received national publicity. (2) Didier’s grandson, Damon Anthony Didier, portrayed his grandfather at the bicentennial ceremony in Marksville in 2009. |
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(1) Missing
Marcel Furlow Didier
Fabius Anthony Didier
Grandchildren:
Damon Anthony Didier
(1) Didier's trial for malfeasance in office was one of the most sensational events to have occurred in his native Avoyelles Parish. He was given a seven-day sentence in his own jail, an event which received national publicity.
Fabius Odell Didier, Jr., known as Potch Didier (November 17, 1919 – September 10, 2007), was a flamboyant Democratic sheriff of Avoyelles Parish in south Central Louisiana, who served from 1960 to 1980. In 1970, Didier (pronounced DID E A) was tried, convicted and served a seven-day sentence in his own jail for malfeasance in office.
The newspaper publisher Jim R. Levy (born 1934), formerly of the Bunkie Record in Bunkie in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, proclaims Didier "the best sheriff Avoyelles Parish ever had." According to Levy, Didier and District Attorney Charles Riddle, Jr., were at odds. Charges were filed, and the case went to trial. John Boatner prosecuted for the DA's office, and Joe Tritiko, a prominent attorney from Lake Charles, the seat of Calcasieu Parish, was the defense counsel for Didier. Levy explains:
It was the biggest trial in the parish, It was an amazing spectacle. When it was all over, Potch was sentenced to ninety days in the parish jail, meaning he would only have to serve 45 days. He ended up serving just seven days with good behavior, which he would serve in his own jail (in the parish seat of Marksville). I remember that first night he began his sentence, he cooked an andouille gumbo. He served his sentence, and eventually everything got back to normal, In fact, he was re-elected... again in 1972 and 1975.
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Wikipedia