2023-0180
Title
In Recognition: Sheriff Gregory C. Champagne, National Sheriff's Association President
Body
The Parish of St. Charles
July 31, 2023
IN RECOGNITION
WHEREAS, Sheriff Gregory C. Champagne is currently serving his seventh term as sheriff of St. Charles Parish; he is the longest-tenured sheriff in the parish's history, with twenty-seven years of service; and,
WHEREAS, Sheriff Champagne was born and raised in St. Charles Parish; he graduated from Hahnville High School and received a bachelor's degree in government from Nicholls State University in 1979 and a juris doctorate from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1982; and,
WHEREAS, following law school, Sheriff Champagne served as an assistant district attorney in St. Charles Parish; during his fourteen-year tenure, he earned a reputation as a tough but fair prosecutor with a 94% conviction rate; he tried numerous felony jury trials including eight homicide trials, all of which resulted in convictions; and,
WHEREAS, Sheriff Champagne was first elected sheriff of St. Charles Parish in 1995; he was re-elected without opposition in 1999, with 81% of the votes in 2003, and with 83% of the votes in 2007; he ran without opposition in three-consecutive elections from 2011 and 2019; and,
WHEREAS, Sheriff Champagne graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Quantico, Virginia, on two occasions; first, he completed the FBI's Law Institute for Prosecutors, and more recently, he graduated from the FBI's Law Enforcement Executive Development Program; and,
WHEREAS, Sheriff Champagne was installed for a second term as president of the National Sheriff's Association (NSA) in June; he previously served as president of the NSA in 2016-2017; for the past twenty years, he has chaired the NSA Legal Affairs Committee, which analyzes proposed congressional legislation and files amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court on landmark criminal justice issues affecting sherif...
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