BATON ROUGE — A judge whose son is a convicted serial rapist will still preside over the trial of a man who is accused of raping Madison Brooks despite the state's second request for her recusal. 

Judge Gail Horne Ray will continue to handle the trial of Casen Carver, a 22-year-old from Denham Springs who was 18 when he was indicted with first-degree rape, third-degree rape and video voyeurism, after the state's second request for recusal was denied.

WBRZ previously reported Brooks left Reggie's bar in Tigerland with Carver, Everett Lee, Kaivon Washington and Desmond Carter on Jan. 15, 2023. The group went to a parking lot, where Washington and Carter are accused of raping Brooks in the backseat of Carver's vehicle. The men told officers that Brooks requested to go home and they dropped her off in the Pelican Lakes subdivision.

After they left, Brooks wandered into the roadway and was hit and killed by a rideshare driver. Arrest documents said Brooks' blood alcohol content was .319 percent, and she had physical injuries consistent with rape. 

Carver is charged with rape, although there is no evidence that he had sex with Brooks. The law says first-degree rape occurs when two or more offenders take part. In its definition of "participation," the law notes both taking part in the actual rape or "physically assist in the commission of such act."

Through the legal battle, the state moved to have Ray removed from the trial. In Nov. 2025, Ray was recused in the case. District Attorney Hillar Moore's office filed the recusal.

He said the request was due to previous rulings and the judge seeing evidence related to Brooks' sexual history that was thrown out, but the document included text messages from Carver to his father, saying the judge's "son was accused of rape a while back so she knows to help us." Ray's son, Nelson Dan Taylor, admitted to raping six of his classmates at Baton Rouge High School between October 1995 and April 1996. 

Excerpt from reasons for and order on motion to recuse 

Carver's attorney appealed the decision, but the First Circuit Court of Appeals said Ray's rulings and her exposure of impertinent information about Brooks' sexual history wouldn't justify recusal, but leaving her off the case was still the best way forward.

The defense pushed the appeal to the State Supreme Court, which ruled that Ray could stay, and the state did not meet its burden for removal. The state requested a rehearing, which was declined. 

Now, Carver's attorney Joe Long has filed a motion for a speedy trial. 

"We look forward to a swift trial date so that my client can have his day in Court and the people will clearly see his innocence regarding these charges. Let the facts and evidence, not passion and emotion, decide this case," Long said. 

Carver is due back in court on Monday.