Louisiana Sheriff Who Beat Up Podcaster Is Out of a Job

A long-serving Louisiana sheriff is out of a job after admitting he assaulted a local podcaster who'd been a persistent thorn in his side. Under a plea deal, Randy Smith, 61, retired as St. Tammany Parish sheriff and accepted 15 to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty Wednesday to felony second-degree battery and misdemeanor disturbing the peace through public intoxication, the Guardian reports. Investigators say Smith attacked blogger and podcaster Bobby Couvillion at a Madisonville steakhouse on May 29 after running up a tab that included 18 alcoholic drinks.

Smith allegedly put Couvillion—who had frequently accused him of corruption and incompetence—in a chokehold, slammed him backward off a barstool, then punched and kicked him while he was on the ground, causing a concussion and broken teeth. Couvillion had been celebrating his 59th birthday with his wife. The plea agreement states that Smith had to be pulled off Couvillion by patrons and staff. Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agents took over the case after the sheriff's office recused itself. Several local judges stepped aside before Judge Reginald Badeaux accepted the plea.

District Attorney Collin Sims said the outcome shows "everyone will be held accountable for their actions, regardless of your title." Smith "acted out, and as a result of that sobriety issue, we're giving him an opportunity and a path that we afford every other citizen in this parish to earn a misdemeanor if they address the issue that caused it," Sims said, per KVUE. In his victim impact statement, Couvillion said the investigation was "thorough and impartial." He said he was thankful the case "was not swept under the rug."

• Smith was elected sheriff in 2016. His predecessor, Jack Strain, was sentenced to life without parole in 2022 for rape, sexual battery, incest, and indecent behavior with juveniles. Former St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed and former St. Tammany Coroner Peter Galvan served time in prison for corruption.
• Smith's guilty plea "came just three days before voters go to the polls on, you guessed it, a tax to support the sheriff's office," writes Faimon Roberts at the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "With a recent history—not to mention current events—can anybody really blame them if they say no?"