A Law Library of Louisiana FREE CLE The Strange Case of Dr

A Law Library of Louisiana FREE CLE The Strange Case of Dr

A Law Library of Louisiana FREE CLE
Co-sponsored by the Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society
The Strange Case of Dr. Etienne Deschamps:
Murder in the New Orleans
French Quarter
Presented by Christopher G. Peňa
Thursday, May 18, 2017
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
410 Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana
One Hour CLE
On Thursday, May 18th, the Law Library of Louisiana and the Supreme Court of Louisiana
Historical Society will co-sponsor a free CLE Program at the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Author Christopher G. Peňa will discuss his recently published book, The Strange Case of Dr.
Etienne Deschamps: Murder in the New Orleans French Quarter. Focusing on the sensational
1889 murder of a young Irish immigrant by a deranged and sadistic dentist, Peňa’s engrossing
work covers the murder of twelve year old Juliette Dietsh, Dr. Deschamps’s arrest, his capital
murder trials, his attorney’s efforts to spare his life through an insanity defense, the two
Louisiana Supreme court appeals, and the ultimate resolution. Pulled from the annals of the
late 19th century criminal courts of New Orleans, this sad story continues to haunt the
Louisiana justice system today. Following the program, books will be available for purchase and
signing by the author.
Speaker
Christopher G. Peňa is a writer and researcher. One of the foremost authorities on Southeast
Louisiana Civil War history, he has published several books and articles on the state. He has
written four books related to the Civil War, including “Touched By War: Battles Fought in the
Lafourche District” (1998), “General Butler: Beast or Patriot – New Orleans Occupation MayDecember 1862” (2003), and “Scarred By War: Civil War in Southeast Louisiana” (2004). His
latest book explores a different period in history, though many of the key players in this 1889
New Orleans murder had ties with the Confederacy, having served in various Louisiana
regiments. Peňa is a retired associate professor of nursing at Nicholls State University, where he
earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in both theater and history and where he taught nursing for
several decades. Peňa is a cousin to Louisiana Supreme Court Justice John L. Weimer and
currently lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Email [email protected] to reserve a seat. For more information, please contact Cynthia Jones via
email at [email protected] or phone (504-310-2406)