Rape convictions nets habitual offender life

By Suzanne Le Breton
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, March 5, 2010 12:27 AM CST

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A Slidell man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after District Judge Martin Coady found him to be a habitual offender.

A 12-member jury found James Holt, 43, guilty of forcible rape Oct. 15, 2009.

Holt was arrested in November 2008 by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office after the sexual abuse was reported.

According to the facts presented by Assistant District Attorney Harold Bartholomew Jr., who was in charge of presenting the case for the state, the female victim was asleep when Holts began sexually abusing her.

The victim awoke and screamed for Holts to stop, but he continued with his hand over the victim’s mouth.

However, the victim was successful in alerting another individual who was in the trailer where they were staying. That person came to the victim’s aid and the police were called.

Rick Wood, spokesman for District Attorney Walter Reed, said Holts was found to be a habitual offender due to previous convictions for possession with intent to distribute prescription drugs in 2009, simple robbery in 2005, theft twice in 1986 and illegal possession of stolen things in 1984.

Woods said had Holts not been found to be a habitual offender, the sentence he would have faced would have been five to 40 years.

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