District Attorney Asa Skinner has issued the following letter to the Leesville Daily Leader:

District Attorney, Asa A. Skinner, has announced his retirement from the Vernon Parish District Attorney's Office effective September 30, 2020. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I am eternally grateful to have served as District Attorney for 11 1/2  years and Assistant and First Assistant District Attorney for 30 years. 

It is a humbling experience to realize you represent every man, woman, and especially every child in our parish – A responsibility I have never took lightly. I did my best to follow the commands of James 1 verses 19-20. "Everybody should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."

I would like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to former District Attorney Bill Tilley for the opportunity to work for him for 30 years starting in January 1979. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their support over these many years, and lastly I would like to thank all my co-workers and employees for their service and dedication to their jobs.

It has been said that the best time to think about retirement is before the boss does. Well I have always considered the good people of Vernon Parish to be my boss, and I feel that it is time to end this chapter of my life and begin a new one.

Lastly, I feel the Vernon Parish District Attorney's Office will be in the capable hands of Terry W. Lambright, who has served as Assistant and First Assistant District Attorney for over 20 years and is well qualified. Terry has been extremely hard working, dedicated, and has exemplified an important quality of honesty and integrity in his work. Terry is probably the only District Attorney in the State of Louisiana that has worked with Child Protective Services before becoming a lawyer protecting our most vulnerable treasure in society, our children. 

Victims of crime, children, and the people will be well represented in Vernon Parish.

This article originally appeared on Leesville Daily Leader: District Attorney Asa Skinner announces his retirement