Thomas D. "Tommy" Wright
| Thomas David "Thomas" Wright | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Representative from District 22 (Grant, La Salle, Winn and Rapides parishes) | |
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In office May 1, 1996 – 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen L. Gunn |
| Succeeded by | Billy Chandler |
| Member of the Jena City Council (La Salle Parish) | |
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In office 1982–1996 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | January 16, 1956 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Jena, Louisiana |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| In 2006, a sex scandal stemming from an arrest in Pineville derailed Wright's ten-year career in the Louisiana House of Representatives. | |
Thomas David "Tommy" Wright (born January 16, 1956) is a Jena (La Salle Parish) Democrat who was forced to resign from the Louisiana legislature early in 2006 as part of a plea bargain regarding an obscenity charge. Wright represented District 22 in the north central section of the state. The district encompasses all of Grant and La Salle parishes, most of Winn Parish, and a precinct of Rapides Parish.
Wright was charged with an obscenity violation at Lake Buhlow in Pineville in Rapides Parish. Wright and another individual, Charles Locher, II, were arrested in 2004, when a Red River Waterway Commission park ranger said that he walked into a public restroom and found the men engaged in sexual activities. Wright and Locker denied the charges since their arrests and grand jury indictments. The two initially pleaded not guilty. Wright claimed that he had dropped his pants as the ranger entered the restroom and that the ranger misinterpreted the situation. Locker denied impropriety and said that he did not know Wright. The two changed their pleas to guilty on misdemeanor charges. Wright pleaded guilty to flight from an officer, and Locker pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal mischief, according to Harold A. Van Dyke, III, the first assistant district attorney in Rapides Parish.
When he entered the legislature in 1996, Wright listed his occupation as a "teacher" and a "businessman." He cited a business administration degree from the former Northeast Louisiana University (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe). He also did graduate studies at the same institution. In 1977, he formed Wright Real Estate in Jena. He was a Pontiac dealer from 1979 to 1980. He was a member of the Jena City Council from 1982 until he became state representative in 1996. He holds membership in the La Salle Economic Development Council, the Catahoula Lake chapter of Ducks Unlimited, the Masonic Lodge, and the Methodist Church.
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