One found guilty in assault of Vernon Parish newspaper delivery man

VERNON PARISH, La. (KALB) - The week of Aug. 22, Douglas Paul James, 32, one of the men accused in the assault of an American Press newspaper delivery man, was found guilty of second-degree battery by a jury.

Earlier this year, Douglas and his brother, Dillon Matthew James, 24, were arrested and charged in the Dec. 17, 2021 attack of Woodie Blanks, Jr., 67, who was delivering newspapers around 3 a.m. on Catfish Hut Road. Blanks was stopped by a group of men as he returned to his vehicle after hand-delivering a paper to a customer with mobility issues. He said the men questioned him about what he was doing, before assaulting him. Blanks sustained injuries to his eyes and face, and he underwent multiple surgeries.

Douglas is set to be sentenced on Oct. 5. He is represented by Sam Jones, and Ronald Seastrunk prosecuted the case for the state.

Dillon, who has pleaded not guilty to battery charges, has a pre-trial conference scheduled for Oct. 4. His trial is set for Oct. 17.

Dillon is represented by Jack Simms, Jr., and Seastrunk is also prosecuting the case.

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