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VILLE PLATTE - Family members of a man killed in 1985 met with officials from the U.S. attorney general's office on Thursday to discuss how the case of the man convicted in the death is being conducted.

"We met with two lawyers from Lafayette," said George Fisher, president of Black Men Seven, a civil rights group based in Eunice.

Family members of Caffery Scott Jr., who was shot in the stomach as he walked on a rural road in Evangeline Parish, have expressed concern about the way Evangeline Parish District Attorney Brent Coreil's office has handled the case.

One of Scott's sons said the family did not find out a new trial had been granted until July 7.

The new trial was awarded on June 20 by Judge Gaynor Soileau of the 13th Judicial District, Jacob Guillory, 37, was convicted of the second degree murder of Scott and sentenced to life in prison in 1987.

The motion for a new trial and/or sentence was filed on Jan. 7 by Guillory's current attorney, Clayton Burgess of Lafayette.

Testimony during the trial indicates that Guillory, who is white, shot Scott because he was black.

"They were upset with Brent Coreil … because he did not contact the family when the appeal hearing was held. This whole thing could have been avoided if they had been contacted," Fisher said.

Coreil issued a statement Monday saying his office submitted evidence at the hearing for a new trial and was monitoring the status of the case. He said the judge decided to grant the new trial.

Coreil was not available for comment Thursday.

Michael Scott attended the meeting with the lawyers and Fisher said the family was satisfied with the discussions on the case.

"They told us it was okay to go on ahead with the attorney general handling the case," Fisher said. "The state attorney general is on the right track."

Coreil has turned the case over to the state attorney general's office for prosecution after determining a current assistant district attorney once represented Guillory.

The attorney general's office is appealing the judge's action and the matter is expected to go to court Aug. 24 in Ville Platte, Fisher said.