The topic of ethics has come to the forefront in a small Louisiana town ahead of its Police Chief election. That's because the only remaining candidate has a checkered past. One that includes two pending second-degree rape charges, according to a Sunday (October 11) report from The Guardian.
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Man Set to Become Police Chief Despite Two Rape Charges
Per the outlet, the lone candidate, Christopher Paul, entered his name in the election for the southwestern Louisiana village of Elizabeth on August 6. But in a bizarre twist, a month later he was arrested on two second-degree rape charges. The allegations were that he raped two 13-year-old girls in separate incidents in 2005 and 2006.
Paul is running unopposed. The lone opponent who was scheduled to run against him, Zachary LaCaze, had to withdraw from the election. He officially withdrew from the race after learning that he could not run while working for the federal government.
"My full-time job is what provides for my wife and son, and I cannot take that away from them," LaCaze
wrote in a social media post after he withdrew. "So, as much as it hurts me, I have to step away from this election."LaCaze's withdrawal from the election came well after the deadline for candidates to enter the election had passed. So now Paul remains the lone candidate for police chief, while simultaneously being out on a $60,000 bond for the rape charges.
What's even more bizarre is that the two rape charges won't necessarily disqualify Paul from taking office. According to the outlet, the only thing that would rule Paul out from taking office is a felony conviction. With the case still pending and his January 1 police chief term start date looming, it's unclear when the situation will be resolved.
