By Natasha Robin | Fox 8 | February 6, 2020 NEW ORLEANS, La. (WVUE) – “The offenders appear to have gotten more consideration than the victims of these crimes of violence,” says Rafael Goyeneche. Goyeneche, of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, calls some recent bonds at Criminal District Court, unfortunate. Three suspects appeared before a Magistrate…
By Sam Hanna Jr. | The Franklin Sun | February 5, 2020 Twelve years ago in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s first year in office, the newly elected governor called a special session for lawmakers to entertain a package of reform bills to improve ethics in state government. Jindal specifically targeted politicians, and one of the cornerstones…
By John Simerman | Nola.com | February 3, 2020 Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter has stepped down after 24 years on the bench, filing his resignation letter on Monday. He is rumored to be readying a run for district attorney. Hunter, who was considered to be among the most liberal of the…
By Editorial | Nola.com | February 2, 2020 In 2008, Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature pledged the state to attain the “gold standard” of ethics in government. And when it comes to filling out forms, particularly for financial disclosures by elected officials, in many ways it was. But there turned out to be ways…
By James Gill | Nola.com | February 2, 2020 If we didn’t assume that judges are smarter and more honest than the general run of humanity, we wouldn’t let them boss us about. Sure, they can order a cop to enforce their will whether we respect them or not, but coercion cannot sustain their hegemony…
By The Advocate Staff | Featured on The Ouachita Citizen | February 2, 2020 In 2008, Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature pledged the state to attain the “gold standard” of ethics in government. And when it comes to filling out forms, particularly for financial disclosures by elected officials, in many ways it was. But…
By Nick Reimann | Nola.com | February 1, 2020 State District Judge Jeff Perilloux hasn’t heard a case in 21 months. But that hasn’t stopped the suspended judge in St. John the Baptist Parish from collecting his taxpayer-paid salary while he awaits trial on charges of sexual misconduct involving three of his daughter’s teenage friends. Records…
By Mike Perlstein | WWL Tv | January 30, 2020 NEW ORLEANS — A contentious eight-year legal battle between the Clerk of New Orleans Criminal Court and City Hall over funding has been resolved, with the clerk’s office getting the full $4.6 million annual budget allocation it requested. In previous years, the city argued that…
By Jamie Ostroff | KTBS | January 30, 2020 The Metropolitan Crime Commission, a non-profit watchdog group based in New Orleans, published a searchable database that allows the public to look up financial disclosure forms for any Louisiana judge. Elected officials in Louisiana are required to disclose where their money comes from, whether it’s from…
January 30, 2020 NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced LARRY WILLIAMS (“LARRY WILLIAMS”), age 46, of New Orleans, LUCINDA THOMAS (“THOMAS”), age 63; MARY WADE (“WADE”), age 55; JUDY WILLIAMS (“JUDY WILLIAMS”), age 59; and DASHONTAE YOUNG (“YOUNG”), age 25; all of Houma, Louisiana, entered a plea of guilty today to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371,…