VIDALIA — The malfeasance charges against former Ferriday Police Chief Robert “Rock” Davis have been dropped.

Seventh Judicial Court Division A Judge Kathy Johnson granted a motion to quash the charges of false imprisonment and malfeasance in office.

The charges were leveled against Davis by a Concordia Parish grand jury in March.

The charges should never have been brought against Davis, his attorney Derrick Carson said.

The statute of limitations for the allegations that led to the false imprisonment charge — a misdemeanor — had expired even before the case was brought before the grand jury, Carson said.

The other charge had to be thrown out because it was not properly applied, Carson said.

“The malfeasance charge has to be based on an underlying act,” he said. “You could charge someone with malfeasance because of false imprisonment, but you can’t charge them with both — it’s one or the other.”

The District Attorney’s office reviewed the motion and agreed the indictment never should have happened, Carson said.

“I think that shows a great deal of management insight for (District Attorney John Johnson) and his office to go back and look at it and correct that problem,” Carson said. “I can’t express enough gratitude to the district attorney for going back and reviewing the matter.”

Davis was one of several former Ferriday Police Department employees who were indicted in March and whose cases are at varying stages of the legal process.

Former Officer Willie Robinson was indicted in relation to the same incident as Davis.

Officer John Hawkins — who was employed at the FPD at the time of his indictment — was charged with two counts of false imprisonment unrelated to the Davis and Robinson indictments.

Officer Ricky Hollins — who was also an employee of the FPD at the time of the indictment — was indicted on charges of false imprisonment, simple battery, aggravated assault, malfeasance in office and first-degree injuring of public records.

Former officer Juanita January was charged with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

Hollins and Johnson have pleaded “not guilty” to the charges against them.