Marshal Brian Pope wants names of recall petition signers

Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope's attorney wants the names of everyone who signed a failed recall petition.

Attorney Brett Grayson, who is defending Pope in a criminal case, filed an order last week requesting subpoenas for the chairman and co-chairman of the Recall Brian Pope Committee to appear at a Jan. 31 hearing and provide the original copies of all executed or signed recall petitions in their possession.

Pope is scheduled for trial Feb. 20 on seven felony charges, including two counts of perjury and five counts of malfeasance in office.

Grayson argues in court documents that having the names of everyone who signed the Recall Brian Pope petition would help him in challenging potential jurors for the felony trial.

Three crazy years for Brian Pope

"It's unfortunate because I have destroyed those," recall chairman Aimee Boyd Robinson said Tuesday. "Why would I have kept that? So that he could retaliate against them like he has done against members of the recall committee? No, thank you."

The recall effort fell about 3,800 signatures short. Robinson said many people were afraid to sign the petition, fearing retaliation by Pope.

On Dec. 11, the day the committee announced the recall effort failed, deputies with the City Marshal's Office arrested recall co-chairman Steven Wilkerson on a 20-year-old warrant for issuing worthless checks. The statute of limitations on that charge is two years, but a warrant does not expire. Wilkerson and Robinson believe the arrest was retaliation by Pope for trying to have him recalled.

In 2015, Pope held a press conference at his public office accusing Mark Garber, a candidate for Lafayette Parish Sheriff and an attorney, of encouraging illegal workers to come to the United States and file fraudulent worker's compensation claims.

Pope supported Chad Leger in the race. Garber won.

Probation hearing set for Brian Pope

The Independent Weekly newspaper sought emails regarding the press conference. Pope refused, the newspaper sued and won. Pope is accused of not telling the truth in a sworn deposition for the case. He also is accused of using his office and workers to campaign for Leger and raise money for his own campaign.

Pope also has a probation hearing Feb. 28 related to a contempt of court charge stemming from the civil lawsuit.