Mitch Bratton, the chief of police for the Village of Grayson, called the Louisiana State Police to report suspicions that the town clerk was stealing from the town. Louisiana State Police detectives went to Grayson to speak to Bratton and ask him to provide records related to the narcotics fund, but he was unable to provide any documents from 2016 through 2019.
During the search, a woman arrived at the town hall to speak to Bratton about a complaint, saying that Bratton had stolen $1,150 from her. Bratton told the detectives that he had arrested the woman’s husband and confiscated cash from him during the arrest. He stated the cash was missing and may have fallen out of his police vehicle.
Detectives then searched Bratton’s police vehicle and found a suboxone strip, several tablets of Xanax, and a plastic baggy in the cup holders. Bratton was charged with malfeasance in office, two counts of theft, and one count of obstruction of justice, to which he pleaded not guilty.
A grand jury returned an indictment charging him with malfeasance in office, unauthorized use of a movable, and several possession offenses. At trial, a Louisiana State Police detective, Nicolas Blake, testified that Bratton initially called his office to report concerns that the clerk was stealing money but had no specific allegations or evidence. described receiving banking records for Grayson and that Bratton would request money for specific narcotics investigations and the money would be transferred to him. Blake testified to Bratton directing them to several different spots to search for records related to the narcotics fund, but they found no documentation related to the narcotics fund from 2016 through 2019. Another witness testified that he went to assist Bratton on a call on where a set of Suboxone strips was found and seized by Bratton. Bratton chose to release the three suspects, rather than to charge them for possession of the drugs found, but Bratton retained the drugs he took from the suspects. Bratton was convicted on seven counts and appealed.
The Court of Appeals of Louisiana, Second Circuit, affirmed Bratton’s convictions. The Court stated that Bratton, as chief of police, had a duty to maintain records, and the jury heard testimony that he had withdrawn thousands of dollars from the narcotics fund from 2016 through 2019 but was unable to produce records evidencing the names of the informants he alleged to have paid with the funds or the results of those investigations. As for the illegal possession convictions and the theft conviction, the Court held that “a rational juror could have found that Bratton was guilty of possession of alprazolam” and that “a rational juror could have concluded that Bratton intended to permanently deprive the female complainant and her husband of the $1,150.”
The Court rejected Bratton’s other assignments of error, finding no abuse of discretion in the trial court’s rulings. However, the Court did overturn the trial court’s imposition of the seven fines of $1,000 each.
State v. Bratton, 2025 La. App. LEXIS 331 (La. Ct. App. 2025).