He Compared a Black Child to a Dog and Withheld Evidence in Death Row Cases. Now He’s Running for Judge.

Hugo Holland, a Louisiana prosecutor who secured nearly 40 death penalty convictions over his career, is running for judge in Caddo Parish despite a record marked by withholding evidence in at least three capital cases and making racist statements, including comparing a Black teenage defendant to a dog. Holland has raised more than $61,000 in less than two months for his First Judicial District Court campaign—roughly double what many candidates spend in an entire race—with backing from local prosecutors, judges, and law firms. Louisiana courts found Holland failed to disclose exculpatory evidence in cases involving Bobby Hampton and David Brown, both still on death row and challenging their convictions; a third defendant, Corey Williams, had his death sentence reduced to life without parole after Holland's team concealed witness statements and detective notes suggesting his innocence. Holland also displayed a Confederate general portrait in his office and was forced to resign from the DA's office in 2012 after submitting false information to obtain military rifles. Civil rights leaders and defense attorneys argue he is unfit for the bench, while his supporters say his trial experience makes him a fair candidate; candidates have until the end of July to enter the race.