FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 17, 2024

Louisiana Supreme Court Denies Former Sheriff Rodney “Jack” Strain’s Request to Reverse His Conviction

            The Office of Interim District Attorney J. Collin Sims reports that today, the Louisiana Supreme Court denied the request to reverse former Sheriff Rodney “Jack” Strain’s conviction.

            A jury found Strain guilty of 4 counts of aggravated rape, two counts aggravated incest, one count molestation of a juvenile, and one count sexual battery after a two-week trial that concluded on November 8, 2021.  On February 2, 2022, he was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor without the possibility of parole.

On June 1, 2023, the First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Strain’s convictions and sentences. The First Circuit’s opinion can be found at the below link:

https://www.la-fcca.org/opiniongrid/opinionpdf/2022%20KA%200670%20Decision%20Appeal.pdf. The Supreme Court Opinion can be found here:  https://www.lasc.org/opinions/2024/23-0930.k.action.pdf.

Interim District Attorney Collin Sims and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Authement prosecuted the case. The appeal was briefed and argued by Assistant District Attorney Matthew Caplan.