Attorneys

Charles Addison Riddle III

Charles A. Riddle III has practiced law in Avoyelles Parish, and throughout the State of Louisiana. Charles is a 1980 graduate from LSU Law School. Charles is an experienced attorney in the courtroom and has handled cases in approximately thirty (30) different parishes.

Charles Riddle was State Representative for Avoyelles Parish from 1992 to January 2003. He was elected District Attorney for Avoyelles Parish on October 5, 2002 and has held that position since, though he does not plan to seek re-election in 2026. As a State Representative, he authored over 100 bills, with over 60 becoming law; many of the bills authored and coauthored were in an effort to improve our criminal justice system. He was the author of the allocution bill, which is now state law. Allocution is the process by which victims have the right to speak at sentencing hearings of the criminals who committed crimes against them.

Charles A Riddle III has spent most of his adult life in public service. In 1983 Charles was elected to serve on the Democratic Central Committee for Avoyelles Parish; he served until 1988 and was then elected to the Democratic Parish Committee. From 1988 to 1992 Charles served as the Marksville Chamber of Commerce president; he has been a member of the Chamber since 1981. Charles is a member of the Marksville Lions Club and the Bunkie Rotary Club (since 1987). He also served as President of the LDAA for the 2008-2009 term.

Charles, a native of Marksville, was married to Susan Noone Riddle for 40 years, before her death in 2018. They are the parents of three sons, two of whom are pastors at local churches, grandparents of seven, and have been blessed with several “bonus” grandchildren, as well as three beautiful daughters-in-laws.

Jenny Donaghey-Beckham

Jenny Donaghey (Beckham) is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Louisiana. She is a 2012 cum laude graduate of Southern University Law Center, having first received B.A. degrees in both political science and sociology from the University of New Orleans (2007). While a general practitioner, her primary areas of interest include estate planning, successions, property matters, and family law.

In 2014, Jenny Donaghey became an Assistant District Attorney for the 12th Judicial District (Avoyelles Parish). She prosecutes both felony and misdemeanor cases, ranging from “petty theft” to murder, and is also a Special Victims Prosecutor, meaning she prosecutes cases involving crimes against children, the elderly, and victims of domestic violence. Jenny is experienced in the courtroom as a litigator, in both her civil and criminal capacities, having handled many judge trials and many jury trials.

Over the years, Jenny has been an active member of her community, serving as a CASA Volunteer, a Rotarian, the leader of her church’s youth group, a Community Partner for Fostering Community, and has also sat, or currently sits, on the Board of Directors for several organizations, including the non-profit Open Hand’s Sharing God’s Love and The Marksville Chamber of Commerce.

Jenny, born and raised on the banks of Bayou des Glaises in Avoyelles Parish, has been married to her “high school sweetheart,” Jeremy Beckham, for over 23 years. They are the parents of two young children.