MARKSVILLE - The state Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of a former Marksville deputy marshal who is in prison for his role in the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old in 2015.

Derrick Stafford had appealed his convictions in the death of Jeremy Mardis and wounding of Jeremy's father Chris Few, alleging that he had poor legal representation.

The court ruling said that Stafford "fails to show that he received ineffective assistance of counsel." 

The court also said that, with the exception of rare circumstances, Stafford's appeals are complete.

Stafford's "claims have now been fully litigated...and this denial is final," the ruling said.

Justice John Michael Guidry dissented, noting that he would have granted the appeal.

Stafford was convicted by a non-unanimous jury in 2017. He had been indicted on second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. The jury convicted him on a 10-2 vote on manslaughter and attempted manslaughter.

He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Few had fled an attempted traffic stop, leading officers to chase his vehicle. Few testified in court that he was concerned about what would happen to his son, who has autism, if he was arrested.

The chase ended when Few turned onto a dead-end street. Few said he didn't hear the officers giving orders before they opened fire, killing Jeremy and critically injuring Few.

Investigators said at least 18 shots were fired into the vehicle. The officers said they didn't know Jeremy was in the vehicle.

After Stafford's conviction, the other deputy marshal charged in the crime took a plea deal and served less than two years of a seven-year sentence.

Norris Greenhouse Jr. was released from prison in June 2019.