After three days of testimony and hours of tense waiting, a Jefferson Parish jury delivered a split verdict for former New Orleans police officer Larry King Jr., finding him guilty of simple battery for an attack on his ex-wife while acquitting him of five felony charges. Jurors deliberated for about seven hours before reaching their decision. King is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on April 1, as per NOLA.com.
Jury Returns Split Verdict
Jurors cleared King of five felony counts but opted for a lesser simple-battery conviction as a responsive verdict instead of the more serious domestic-abuse charges originally brought by prosecutors. According to NOLA.com, the state had pursued felony charges that included domestic abuse with serious bodily injury and strangulation. Under Louisiana law, a simple-battery conviction can be punished by up to six months in parish jail, as reflected in the statute hosted by Justia. A sentencing hearing is set for April 1.
Allegations Date to 2019, Arrested in 2021
Authorities say the alleged abuse occurred between October and November 2019, and that the victim was later diagnosed with head trauma that led to a brain bleed requiring surgery. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation resulted in an arrest warrant and King’s March 2021 arrest on multiple felony counts. The New Orleans Police Department’s Public Integrity Bureau handled the arrest and placed King on emergency suspension. Those details were reported by WDSU.
Prosecutors Say Brain Bleed Tied to Abuse; Defense Responds
In court, Jefferson Parish prosecutors Zachary Grate and Sarah Helmstetter told jurors they believed King’s abuse caused the 2019 brain bleed. King’s attorney, Gregory Carter, countered that claim and told jurors his client’s “whole life [had been] turned upside down because of these lies,” as reported by NOLA.com. The split verdict ends the criminal trial but leaves the door open for any administrative, civil, or appellate steps the parties might choose to pursue.
What Comes Next
King faces sentencing on April 1, 2026. A misdemeanor simple-battery conviction carries a maximum of six months in parish jail and potential fines under state law. The outcome has renewed local scrutiny of how police-misconduct and domestic-abuse allegations are investigated and prosecuted, and advocates say the case underscores how difficult it can be to prove serious-injury claims when the alleged events occurred years earlier.
Sentencing is expected to draw close attention in both New Orleans and Jefferson Parish as prosecutors and the New Orleans Police Department weigh their next steps. The verdict highlights the legal and evidentiary hurdles that often define domestic-abuse trials involving former law-enforcement officers.
