Louisiana

Prisoner wins parole after getting life sentence for trying to steal hedge clippers in 1997

A Louisiana man sentenced to life in prison for trying to steal hedge clippers was granted parole Thursday after spending more than 20 years in prison for the crime.

Oct 16, 2020 1:56 PM CDT

Oregon and Louisiana grapple with past criminal convictions made with split verdicts

In April, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Ramos v. Louisiana that split verdicts in state trials for serious criminal offenses violated the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial, overturning a high court ruling in 1972 that upheld them. The effect of the court’s ruling in Ramos is that state courts will now vacate cases with split verdicts on direct appeal. Prosecutors will next decide whether to retry them. What is unclear is whether the ruling will apply retroactively.

Oct 1, 2020 2:10 AM CDT

Man accused of staging crashes is shot and killed; indictment suggests more charges coming

A New Orleans man accused of staging crashes with 18-wheeler trucks was shot and killed last Tuesday, just four days after his indictment.

Sep 28, 2020 1:02 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Mueller prosecutor has regrets in tell-all book; federal courthouse is a hurricane casualty

Book by Mueller prosecutor says more could have been done A book by Andrew Weissmann, a former prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller said the office failed to fully investigate President Donald Trump’s financial ties amid fears that Trump would shut down the investigation. “We could have done more,” Weissmann…

Sep 22, 2020 4:45 PM CDT

This Louisiana judge continues to innovate during the COVID-19 crisis

Judge Scott Schlegel’s history of utilizing technology in his Louisiana courtroom to make life easier for attorneys and members of the public has come in very handy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sep 16, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Will Roberts opinion ‘eviscerate abortion rights’? 8th Circuit cites new standard

Abortion restrictions should be evaluated under a new approach as a result of a June opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., a federal appeals court said Friday.

Aug 10, 2020 12:07 PM CDT

Public approval for SCOTUS surges after latest blockbuster term, report says

The public’s approval of the U.S. Supreme Court is the highest it has been in more than a decade, according to a new poll from Gallup. The results, released Wednesday, show that 58% of Americans say the Supreme Court handles its job responsibly.

Aug 7, 2020 9:31 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Suit filed for immigrant children detained at hotel; ill judge doesn’t have to sign reelection papers

Lawsuit filed for immigrant children detained at Hampton Inn A lawyer with the Texas Civil Rights Project was forced out of a Hampton Inn hotel in McAllen, Texas, where he was investigating an Associated Press claim that children were being secretly held there before their deportation, according to a video…

Jul 27, 2020 4:58 PM CDT

New York and Illinois join others moving to October online bar exam; another jurisdiction grants diploma privilege

In light of public health concerns, Illinois and New York have joined the growing list of states that canceled in-person bar exams, with plans for an October remote test offered by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Jul 23, 2020 12:02 PM CDT

Wrongfully convicted man hopes to win ‘America’s Got Talent’ and suit against criminal justice system

Inside Louisiana’s maximum security prison, inmate Archie Williams used to watch America’s Got Talent and visualize himself performing on the show. It was a dream that couldn’t have seemed further from reality. But on May 26—37 years after his conviction and a little over a year since his exoneration and release—his improbable dream came true.

Jul 21, 2020 8:00 AM CDT

Louisiana backs out of in-person and remote July bar exams, and New Jersey cancels as well

Instead of following a May plan to shorten the Louisiana bar exam from three days to one, and offer it in person and online, the state announced Wednesday that both July tests will be canceled.

Jul 15, 2020 4:10 PM CDT

BigLaw firms and legal clinics join ACLU in initiative to stop racism in policing

Large law firms and legal clinics are partnering with the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana in its campaign "to dismantle racially discriminatory policing practices."

Jul 10, 2020 3:31 PM CDT

Supreme Court strikes down restrictive abortion law; Roberts concurrence provides fifth vote

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a restrictive Louisiana abortion law in a closely watched case on Monday. A concurrence by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. provided the fifth vote to strike down the Louisiana law, which requires doctors at abortion clinics to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

Jun 29, 2020 9:30 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: ‘Highly irregular conduct’ by DOJ alleged; satanist loses abortion case

DOJ engaged in ‘highly irregular conduct,’ says amicus appointee in Michael Flynn case The U.S. Department of Justice “engaged in highly irregular conduct to benefit a political ally of the president” when it sought to drop the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, according to an amicus lawyer…

Jun 10, 2020 4:01 PM CDT

Appeals court tosses convictions in wake of Supreme Court ruling on jury verdicts

The Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeal has overturned two manslaughter and molestation convictions in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that nonunanimous jury verdicts are unconstitutional.

May 29, 2020 2:32 PM CDT