(The Center Square) − Louisiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would impose stricter mandatory sentencing requirements for repeat violent offenders, following the death of Lafayette SWAT officer Sr. Cpl. Segus Jolivette.
House Bill 11, authored by Rep. Chad Boyer, R-St. Landry, seeks to change how the state handles multiple convictions for violent crimes.
The bill, named “The Segus Jolivette Act,” would require harsher sentences for repeat offenders. Under current Louisiana law, a person with multiple felony convictions can face enhanced sentences if the district attorney invokes the state’s Habitual Offender Law. However, prosecutors are not required to do so, and some repeat offenders receive sentences that critics say are too lenient.
Under HB 11, if a person is convicted of a felony crime of violence — defined under existing law — and the district attorney does not pursue habitual offender status, the following mandatory sentences would apply:
A third conviction would result in a sentence of at least 50% of the maximum penalty for a first-time offense.A fourth or subsequent conviction would result in a sentence of at least 75% of the maximum penalty for a first-time offense.
Additionally, the bill would allow a jury to consider prior convictions when determining a verdict, a change from the current law that prohibits jurors from factoring in past offenses when deciding guilt in a current case.
The proposed law follows the killing of Jolivette, who was fatally shot during a SWAT standoff in July 2024.
While initial reports suggested that the suspect, Nyjal Hurst, fired the fatal shot, investigations later revealed that Jolivette died from “friendly fire”— a bullet fired by another SWAT officer. However, many in law enforcement, including Duson Police Chief Kip Judice, argue that Hurst is ultimately responsible.
“Had this guy carried out the sentence he received in 2022, we would not even be seeing him until 2030. He would still be locked up. Corporal Jolivette would still be alive,” Judice told KADN News 15 in August.
Despite having four felony convictions for violent offenses, Hurst had only served seven months in prison. This, Judice contends, is a failure of Louisiana’s justice system — one that HB 11 aims to correct by ensuring repeat offenders serve significantly longer sentences.
