Tony Clayton

Managing Partner at Clayton Fruge & Ward Law Firm and the District Attorney for the 18^th Judicial District, Parishes of Iberville, West Baton Rouge & Pointe Coupee.

District Attorney Tony Clayton has worked in criminal prosecution all of his career. Before being elected District Attorney in 2020, he served as First Assistant District Attorney, and was the Chief of Felony Trials for the 18th Judicial DDA’s office. In those roles, he successfully prosecuted two serial killers, and also tried almost every major felony case involving violent crimes for the last 17 years, with an almost perfect record of convictions.

In addition to his public service as a prosecutor, Tony served, in 1997, as a District Court Judge at the 19th Judicial District Court by appointment of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Previous to that, he served 8 years in criminal prosecution and justice management and 5 years as Special Prosecutor for the East Baton Rouge District Attorney.

Education

• Southern University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Juris Doctorate, cum laude – 1991

• Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana – B.A. in Political Science – 1988

Honors

• Prosecutor of the Year by Crime Fighters of Louisiana
• Home Run Hitters Award by the National District Attorneys’ Association

Notable Cases

• Serial killer Derrick Todd Lee who was convicted of second-degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence in Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary.
• Louisiana’s second most notorious serial killer, Sean Gillis, who is currently serving a life sentence in Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary.

Personal Life

 He is married to the former Paula Hartley. He is the proud father of Brilliant, Austin, Jené, Brandon and TJ.