Nearly one year following his arrest for abuse of power, Cotton Valley Mayor Joseph Alexander will be tried by a 26th Judicial District Court Judge.
Alexander appeared in district court Monday before Judge Parker Self where he waived his right to a trial by jury, opting for a bench trial, according to court documents. That trial has been set for April 29, 2019.
Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Shreveport Field Office (LSP/SFO) arrested Alexander in May of 2018. He was charged with felony abuse of power.
LSP/SFO received information from the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office requesting LSP’s assistance. On two different occasions in 2017, Alexander is accused of mishandling town funds.
Information obtained from the investigation led to an arrest warrant for Alexander. 26th Judicial District Attorney Schuyler Marvin told a Shreveport television station at the time of Alexander’s arrest that an investigation has been ongoing for several months.
Alexander is accused of asking the town clerk to write a check to his nephew, according to Marvin, and the money was not for town business.
The mayor confessed to cashing the check, Marvin said.
