On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, WV News reported that the felony case against Homer Police Chief Van McDaniel faced another delay after District Judge Walter May recused himself from presiding over the matter following a joint motion by the defense and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, which is prosecuting the case.
The trial, initially set to begin with jury selection on Monday, was postponed, and the case was reassigned to District Judge Glen Fallin through a random drawing at the Claiborne Parish Clerk of Court’s Office.
McDaniel faces charges of aggravated battery and malfeasance in office related to a 2022 incident involving the arrest of Gregory Moak, during which McDaniel allegedly used a Taser. In November 2023, the Louisiana State Police raided McDaniel’s home and the Homer Police Department, leading to his booking at the Claiborne Parish Detention Center with bonds totaling $200,000. McDaniel posted bond the same day and resumed his duties as police chief. Five months later, a Claiborne Parish grand jury indicted him on the same charges.
The recusal motion, filed by McDaniel’s attorney, Chris Bowman, and the state, cited a potential conflict of interest involving Judge May’s son, a deputy with the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, who was involved in a separate arrest of Moak. This marked the second attempt to recuse May, as a similar motion by the defense in April 2024 was denied.
In court, May questioned the relevance of his son’s involvement, noting that the defense, not the state, had subpoenaed his son as a witness. Prosecutor Darwin Miller stated it was unclear whether the deputy’s role was significant to the case. May ultimately signed the recusal motion and adjourned the court.
The trial’s postponement was also influenced by issues with discovery. The state acknowledged its obligation to provide supplemental discovery to the defense but failed to do so promptly, which May described as significant enough to warrant delaying the trial. McDaniel claimed the discovery was intentionally withheld.
Additional complications arose from a prior ruling on August 5, 2025, prompting prosecutors to file a notice of intent to seek supervisory review of that decision.
In a separate development, Moak, the alleged victim in McDaniel’s case, was arrested in September by Claiborne Parish deputies on charges including domestic abuse battery, resisting an officer with force, and possession of synthetic marijuana. He remains in custody.
The charges against McDaniel include two counts of malfeasance for allegedly failing to report a missing hard drive containing video footage of Moak’s arrest and another for not having a body camera policy in the Homer Police Department’s administration booklet.
McDaniel maintains he reported the missing hard drive to the mayor’s office and the attorney general, though investigators argue he should have also informed the Claiborne Parish district attorney and the state legislative auditor.
A new trial date has not been announced.
Source: WV News
