Louisiana Drunk Driver Who Killed 7 Wants Sentence Reduced, Denied by Judge

CLINTON, La. (KMDL-FM) - In 2012 Brett Gerald tragically killed seven people while driving drunk after leaving a golf course in East Feliciana Parish.

Earlier this week, Gerald appeared before a judge seeking to have his 35-year prison sentence reduced for early release.

An East Feliciana judge denied Gerald's request for early release.

Brett Gerald Denied Early Release From Prison

On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Brett Gerald appeared in an East Feliciana Louisiana courtroom before Judge Sydney Picou Walker as his lawyers argued for an early release from prison. According to WBRZ.com, Gerald's lawyers "attempted to get him out of jail on a post-conviction relief petition."

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His attorneys argued that at the time of his conviction, Gerald had ineffective counsel for his trial.

At the time of his original trial, Gerald plead guilty to seven counts of vehicular homicide after he tragically killed a family of six along with a family friend after a head-on collision. Gerald was found to be driving under the influence after a day on the golf course with a blood alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit according to WBRZ.com. Gerald allegedly had a history of drunk driving incidents before this tragic crash.

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From WBRZ.com -

"Gerald was originally sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for each count, a total of 70 years. However, his sentence was cut in half a few months later due to a Supreme Court ruling, and he was re-sentenced to five years per count."

Read more at WBRZ.com.