SLS 16RS-663 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 123
BY SENATORS MILKOVICH AND LONG
COMMENDATIONS. Commends John Mamoulides upon his induction into the Louisiana
Political Museum and Hall of Fame.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend John Mamoulides upon his induction into the Louisiana Political Museum and
3 Hall of Fame.
4 WHEREAS, John Mamoulides was elected as the district attorney of Jefferson Parish
5 beginning in 1972 through 1996, a career totaling nearly a quarter of a century in this
6 influential and powerful office, and was employed for a total of thirty years with the district
7 attorney's office; and
8 WHEREAS, John Mamoulides was born in Crowley, Louisiana, and raised there by
9 his parents, Pansy and Mitchell D. Mamoulides; and
10 WHEREAS, Mamoulides graduated from Crowley High School and enrolled in
11 Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) where he
12 graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1954; and
13 WHEREAS, while attending college, John joined the United States Air Force
14 Reserve Officers' Training Corps and in August 1954, he began his active duty as a USAF
15 officer; and
16 WHEREAS, having fulfilled his active duty obligation, Mamoulides returned to
17 civilian life in Louisiana in 1957, and he enrolled in Tulane University School of Law; and
18 WHEREAS, while attending law school, Mamoulides worked full-time for Whitney
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1 National Bank in the accounting department at night and maintained his Air Force
2 commitment with service in the USAF Reserve, flying out of Alvin Callendar Naval Air
3 Station; and
4 WHEREAS, upon graduation from law school in 1960, Mamoulides was admitted
5 to the Louisiana State Bar Association on June 14, 1960; and
6 WHEREAS, with his Air Force training, John was able to work as an air traffic
7 controller for the Federal Aviation Authority at the New Orleans center from 1961 until
8 1963; and
9 WHEREAS, Mamoulides maintained a private practice of law and joined the
10 Jefferson Parish District Attorney's office in 1966, being appointed assistant district attorney
11 by then district attorney, Frank L. Langridge, who served in that post from 1948 until 1972;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, Mamoulides was named First Assistant to the district attorney in 1966
14 and, upon the retirement of District Attorney Langridge in 1972, was appointed to fill the
15 unexpired term; and
16 WHEREAS, later in 1972, John Mamoulides ran for the elective position of district
17 attorney and was elected in his own right for a full six-year term, following that election with
18 successful campaigns in 1978, 1984, and 1990; and
19 WHEREAS, as a long-tenured district attorney, Mamoulides mentored numerous
20 assistant district attorneys as well as those aspiring to political and judicial offices in the
21 parish of Jefferson and in the state of Louisiana; and
22 WHEREAS, for much of his more than twenty years as D.A., Mamoulides enjoyed
23 the reputation as a political kingmaker and his was one of Jefferson Parish's most fabled
24 political careers; and
25 WHEREAS, as D.A., Mamoulides served terms as the president of the Louisiana
26 District Attorneys Association and as president of the National District Attorneys
27 Association, clearly expanding his political reach beyond his parish; and
28 WHEREAS, Mamoulides was a fixture in the halls of the state capitol in Baton
29 Rouge, being heard on issues relating to law and order and the criminal justice system; and
30 WHEREAS, during his tenure as district attorney, Mamoulides brought many
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1 innovations to the office, among them were two groundbreaking programs which were
2 Jefferson Parish's child abuse unit, the first in the state, and the Code Six vertical prosecution
3 program to expedite the prosecution of career criminals; and
4 WHEREAS, Mamoulides retired from the district attorney's office in 1996, having
5 served a total of thirty years as assistant district attorney and district attorney; and
6 WHEREAS, upon his retirement from the district attorney's office, Mamoulides was
7 named as legal consultant to the office of the independent counsel, a federal prosecutorial
8 agency distinct from the attorney general; and
9 WHEREAS, judicial districts, congressional districts, and legislative districts were
10 drawn up in his office; and
11 WHEREAS, he exercised great influence in Washington and in the Louisiana
12 Legislature; and
13 WHEREAS, John continues in the private practice of law in Metairie, Louisiana; and
14 WHEREAS, he met John F. Kennedy at the Rice Festival in Crowley; was personal
15 friends of Jim Garrison, Russell Long, Harry Lee, Judge Buddy McNamara, Sammy Nunez,
16 and Lee Perez and a Who's Who of leading national and state officials; and was lauded upon
17 his retirement by Presidents, Presidential Candidates, Governors, U.S. Senators, State
18 Representatives, and Senators; and
19 WHEREAS, he never lost his passion or commitment for justice for the common
20 man; and
21 WHEREAS, John Mamoulides' legal and political career was founded on the
22 principles of protecting the people; discovering, disclosing and honoring the truth; and
23 strengthening the integrity of democratic institutions; and
24 WHEREAS, as a District Attorney, he adhered to open file discovery; acknowledged
25 and acted upon exculpatory evidence which showed the innocence of the accused; and
26 embraced scientific and forensic advances which shed light on the truth, demonstrated guilt
27 and innocence, and advanced the cause of justice; and
28 WHEREAS, his fundamental philosophy as a public prosecutor was not simply to
29 secure convictions, but to seek justice; and
30 WHEREAS, he believed his job was justice; and
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1 WHEREAS, he has always honored his Greek heritage and his Christian faith; and
2 WHEREAS, his greatest delight is his faith and his family, wife Savilla, daughter
3 Carola and her husband John, son Mitchell and his wife Barbara, and granddaughters Sarah
4 and Alexa.
5 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
6 commend John Mamoulides upon his induction into the Louisiana Political Museum and
7 Hall of Fame and for his distinguished career.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to John
9 Mamoulides.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SCR 123 Original 2016 Regular Session Milkovich
Commends John Mamoulides upon his induction into the Louisiana Political Museum and
Hall of Fame.
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