By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – As the only candidate to sign up for the March 24 special election for St. Charles Parish District Attorney, out-going state Senate President Joel Chaisson II said he is looking forward to making an impact on his community closer to home.

“It is extremely gratifying to know that my colleagues here in St. Charles believed I would do such a good job in the office that no one chose to run against me,” Chaisson said. “I appreciate that vote of confidence, and I intend to make the most of it.”

Chaisson, a Destrehan attorney, said his transition into office has already gotten underway with current District Attorney Harry Morel, who is retiring May 31.

“There is no need to wait until June 1,” Chaisson said. “I’m ready to get up to speed with the current operations so that the transition is a smooth one. Mr. Morel has been here a long time and has done a good job, and I want to build on that.”

In addition to sitting down with Morel and his staff to discuss best practices, Chaisson said he has also received offers from district attorneys in surrounding parishes from Baton Rouge to New Orleans for him to come in and observe their operations.

“I think in the next five months I will have a strong idea of what I want to see in taking this office,” Chaisson said. “It will also give me adequate time to finish up anything left for me at the Senate. I want to justify this position that the people of the parish have put me in.”

Chaisson served one term as a councilman-at-large in St. Charles Parish before being elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1991. He served two terms in the House and was then elected to the state Senate in District 19, where he has been in office 12 years.

He ran without opposition for the last two terms but could not seek re-election because of term limits. State Rep. Gary Smith Jr. of Norco will assume Chaisson’s position when the new Legislature is sworn in Jan. 9.

“My time in the legislature serving the people of St. Charles and the River Parishes has been a wonderful experience over the past 20 years,” Chaisson said. “I think I will miss it, but it is time to move on and let new people come in and do the job. I’m looking forward to this new direction.”

Morel announced his retirement earlier this year, saying he did not want his position to interfere with his daughter, Michele Morel, who is making a run at the 29th Judicial District Judge position left open by Chaisson’s brother, Robert Chaisson, who was elected to the Louisiana 5th Circuit Court of Appeal in October. Morel’s current term is set to expire in January 2015.

“District attorney is something I had always aspired to be, but Mr. Morel had been doing such a good job over the last 20 plus years,” Chaisson said. “It was something I had always considered, but I never expected it to be at this stage in my life.”