WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• Judge considers effect of fungus on Calif. inmates

  June 17, 2013 2:21 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO- An attorney representing inmates at two Northern California prisons has told a federal judge that prisoners vulnerable to a potentially deadly airborne fungus should be moved from the facilities immediately. Warren George with the Prison Law Office made the argument during a hearing on Monday before U.S. District... more »

• Class action lawsuit filed after plant explosion

  June 14, 2013 10:51 AM

  GEISMAR - Attorneys filed a class action lawsuit today against the operator of a Geismar chemical which exploded yesterday, killing one person and injuring dozens. Attorneys with the Becnel Law Firm of LaPlace filed suit in Ascension Parish today against Williams Olefins, the company which operates the plant. ... more »

• Rayville woman pleads guilty in Medicaid fraud

  May 31, 2013 11:52 AM

  RAYVILLE - Attorney General Buddy Caldwell's office says the former owner of a Rayville personal care services agency has pleaded guilty to defrauding the state's Medicaid program. The guilty plea was entered Thursday by 52-year-old Patricia A. Bell of Rayville. Caldwell says in a news release that Bell was charged... more »

• Former Baton Rouge lawyer sentenced in fraud case

  May 23, 2013 2:18 PM

  BATON ROUGE - James M. Bernhard III has been sentenced to 27 months in prison Thursday for wire fraud in connection with the theft of over $453,000 from his former law firm's trust account. Bernhard, who pleaded guilty to the wire fraud charge, surrendered his law license shortly before he... more »

• Deadline approaching for Powerhouse Gym claims

  May 22, 2013 12:18 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorney General Buddy Caldwell reminded people affected by the failed Powerhouse Gym in Baton Rouge that they should file a claim with the Louisiana Department of Justice's Consumer Protection section by Friday, May 31. Powerhouse Gym planned to open in January 2012, and the owners started... more »

• AG removed himself from decision to subpoena AP

  May 14, 2013 12:46 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department says Attorney General Eric Holder removed himself from a decision to subpoena phone records of The Associated Press. A Justice Department statement Tuesday says that Holder stepped aside - a procedure known as recusal. The statement says Holder stepped aside because he had been interviewed... more »

• Teacher accused of indecent behavior with student

  May 14, 2013 11:58 AM

  SLIDELL - Authorities arrested a junior high school teacher in Slidell for indecent behavior with a juvenile, according to Attorney General Buddy Caldwell. The AG's Office said 34-year-old Traci Beaucoudray is accused of having inappropriate contact with one of her former students. The arrest was a result of... more »

• Ohio AG: Tests confirm Castro is father

  May 10, 2013 10:31 AM

  CLEVELAND - The Ohio attorney general says tests have confirmed that alleged kidnapper Ariel Castro is the father of a 6-year-old girl rescued from his house with three women this week. Attorney General Mike DeWine's office confirmed Castro's paternity in a news release Friday. DeWine says a sample of Castro's... more »

• AG to announce results of child predator investigation

  April 24, 2013 10:53 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Attorney General's Office scheduled a press conference this afternoon to announce the results of an undercover operation targeting child predators in southern Louisiana. The investigation involved the Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. AG Buddy Caldwell will be joined by Louisiana State Police... more »

• AG says approval not needed for LSU hospital deals

  April 11, 2013 2:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Attorney General's Office says Gov. Bobby Jindal's plans to privatize the LSU-run public hospitals doesn't require legislative approval under the law. The Jindal administration has said it didn't intend to seek a legislative vote for the individual privatization agreements because the law doesn't require approval. ... more »

• Man accused of child porn, unauthorized wireless access

  April 8, 2013 4:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Attorney General's Office said their high tech crime unit caught a Baton Rouge man highjacking a wireless router to look at child porn. Authorities arrested Richard Wells-Lightsey, 26, on Friday as part of a joint investigation with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, AG's High... more »

• Attorney: Mayor broke policy to fire Chief Play Video

  February 8, 2013 6:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Three days after the East Baton Rouge Mayor's Office abruptly fired the city's police chief, his attorney said the Mayor may not have followed policy when making the decision. Jill Craft, who represents Dewayne White, told News 2 the State Examiner's officer confirmed with her that... more »

• Fired chief levels serious allegations against Mayor Play Video

  February 7, 2013 2:58 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Through his attorney today, fired Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White leveled serious allegations that the East Baton Rouge Mayor's Office interfered with his duties and actively kept him from speaking to the media about issues with the department. White and his attorney, Jill Craft, made... more »

• Ousted chief to speak to media this afternoon

  February 7, 2013 10:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Former Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White scheduled a press conference for this afternoon, a day after he was fired from his post. White will hold the press conference at the office of his attorney, Jill Craft, at 2:30 p.m. News 2 will stream the event... more »

• Texas prosecutor's slaying rattles colleagues

  February 1, 2013 2:56 AM

  KAUFMAN, Texas - Some prosecutors say the fatal shooting of a Dallas-area prosecutor is disturbing for all those trying to protect the public from criminals and their misdeeds. That's after a masked gunman confronted Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse of Kaufman County in a parking lot and shot him multiple... more »

• La. AG's oil spill tab nears $24M

  January 14, 2013 2:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's attorney general has spent nearly $24 million building the state's legal case against BP over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. And records show much of the money has gone to outside law firms that have contributed to his campaigns. The $15.4 million that Attorney... more »

• US names investigator in Danziger case

  December 6, 2012 12:30 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department has appointed a veteran prosecutor to investigate allegations that the U.S. attorney's office conducted a smear campaign and leaked information to news organizations during the case against police officers accused of deadly shootings at a bridge shortly after Hurricane Katrina. John Horn, first assistant... more »

• US Attorney resigns during probe of online posts

  December 6, 2012 10:49 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Jim Letten is resigning while the Justice Department investigates alleged misconduct by two of the top deputies in his New Orleans office. The nation's longest-serving U.S. attorney announced his resignation Thursday at a news conference. Two prosecutors who served as supervisors under Letten are targets... more »

• AG refuses to enter debate over budget tactics

  December 5, 2012 10:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorney General Buddy Caldwell's office isn't lodging an opinion about whether Gov. Bobby Jindal's budgeting tactics are in line with the state constitution. A letter was sent this week to Republican Rep. Kirk Talbot declining to rule on his question of whether the state budget uses unconstitutional... more »

• Former Delcambre officer found guilty of kidnapping

  December 4, 2012 10:24 AM

  ABBEVILLE - Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell says a Vermilion Parish jury has found a former Delcambre police officer guilty of sexual battery and second-degree kidnapping. Caldwell said in a news release Tuesday that Friday's conviction of 53-year-old Ernest Billiot stemmed from a 2008 incident in which Billiot abused his... more »

• LSU board to redo vote on merger after criticism

  November 15, 2012 11:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The attorney general's office says it has "serious concerns" that LSU's governing board may have violated the open meetings law with its October vote to merge the positions of system president and chancellor of the flagship campus. The Board of Supervisors announced Thursday that it will revote... more »

• Federal prosecutor demoted for online comments

  November 8, 2012 10:35 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Jim Letten says he has demoted his first assistant U.S. attorney for posting online comments on a newspaper website. A south Louisiana landfill owner who is being investigated by federal agencies had sued Jan Maselli Mann, charging she defamed him in anonymous online posts. In... more »

• Zimmerman wants better management of evidence

  October 15, 2012 12:00 PM

  ORLANDO, Fla. - Attorneys for former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman say prosecutors are dragging their feet on turning over some evidence and not turning over other information in a timely manner. On Monday Zimmerman's attorney's also said prosecutors are providing some discovery in a format that's useless for defense... more »

• AG: Price gouging laws in effect ahead of Isaac

  August 26, 2012 4:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said price gouging laws are now in effect, after Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency ahead of tropical storm Isaac. The state's price gouging statute locks commodity prices at pre-emergency levels unless there's a national or regional market shortage. Affected... more »

• Broussard pleads 'not guilty' to bribery charges

  August 3, 2012 4:03 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Former Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard and former Parish Attorney Tom Wilkinson have pleaded not guilty in connection with new bribery charges filed last week. Broussard and Wilkinson appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy in an arraignment in New Orleans federal court that lasted about... more »

• Lawyer defending voucher program to get up to $50K

  July 18, 2012 4:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The attorney general's office will pay up to $50,000 to Gov. Bobby Jindal's former executive counsel to defend the governor's signature education revamp in court. Amanda Larkins, spokeswoman for Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, said Tuesday that the contract with lawyer Jimmy Faircloth hasn't been completed. But she... more »

• Hawaii attorney convicted in ear licking case

  July 16, 2012 12:43 PM

  LIHUE, Hawaii - A judge says a Hawaii attorney convicted of harassment is a "dirty old man" for licking a client's ear. A former client of Lawrence McCreery testified that while discussing her child custody case last year, the attorney licked the back of her right ear. She says he... more »

• Newspaper: DOJ lawyer tried to stifle reporter

  July 10, 2012 2:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Two Louisiana congressmen are calling on the Justice Department to respond to a complaint that one of its attorneys tried to bar a newspaper reporter from quoting or recording her comments at a public hearing in New Iberia. The Daily Iberian contends Justice Department attorney Rachel Hranitzky... more »

• Holder says contempt vote politically motivated

  June 28, 2012 4:20 PM

  WASHINGTON - Attorney General Eric Holder says the vote finding him in contempt of Congress was a politically motivated act in an election year. Holder says that Rep. Darrell Issa, who leads the House committee investigating a flawed gun-smuggling investigation, and others have focused on politics over public safety. The... more »

• House votes to hold attorney general in contempt

  June 28, 2012 4:15 PM

  WASHINGTON - The House has approved a precedent-setting resolution to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in criminal contempt of Congress. It was the first time a sitting Cabinet member has been held in contempt. A number of Democrats boycotted Thursday's vote. Republicans pushed through the resolution because Holder did not... more »

• Former secretary pleads guilty to embezzling $1.9M

  June 25, 2012 12:34 PM

  AMITE - A former secretary and clek pleaded guilty today in Amite to embezzling nearly $1.9 million from a juvenile justice program. Brenda Bickford, 61, of Hammond pleaded guilty to theft and fraud charges in district court. She admitted she took the money from the Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice... more »

• Man accused of indecent behavior with juveniles

  June 20, 2012 1:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Authorities arrested a Baton Rouge man this week in suspicion of indecent behavior with juveniles, according to the Attorney General's Office. A spokesperson said Ory Sellers, 28, was arrested Tuesday as part of a joint investigation with the AG's Office, Homeland Security and the East Baton... more »

• Attorneys: Lawsuit against Jefferson, Johns frivolous, financially-motivated Play Video

  May 8, 2012 10:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Four men who claim to have been injured in a bar brawl involving a group of LSU football players are suing them and the owners of the bar where it happened. The suit was filed Monday against former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson and linebacker Josh Johns,... more »

• Army sergeant meeting with attorney

  March 19, 2012 12:04 PM

  SEATTLE - The Army sergeant accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians meets with his attorney face-to-face for the first time today. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is in isolation at Fort Leavenworth's military prison in Kansas. The 38-year-old sergeant has not been charged yet, but that's expected to... more »

• Jury selected in George Grace trial

  January 25, 2012 3:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorneys selected four men and 11 women to be on the jury for former St. Gabriel mayor George Grace's corruption trial. Judge Maurice Hicks dismissed the jury after they were selected, telling them not to discuss the case with anyone or do any research on it.... more »

• Joint effort arrests man for child porn

  November 23, 2011 4:43 PM

  BOGALUSA - Authorities attested a man Tuesday for possesing child pornography after being the target of a joint investigation. Jonathan S. Richardson, 24, of 320 Welch St. was arrested and charged with 30 counts of pornography involving juveniles. The arrest was made by the Attorney General's High Technology... more »

• EBR District Attorney talks about Gas for Guns program Play Video

  November 17, 2011 12:42 PM

  East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore spoke with John Pastorek Thursday morning about the governor's child protection order, the Gas for Guns program, and how communities can resolve conflicts peacefully. more »

• Judge refused to release probe data

  October 13, 2011 2:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A state judge has ruled that the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office does not have to turn over more than 800,000 documents from a serial killer task force to attorneys for condemned serial murderer Derrick Todd Lee. State District Judge Richard Anderson granted a Sheriff's... more »

• Grand jury gets LSU bar brawl case

  September 21, 2011 6:19 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The attorney for one suspended LSU football player implicated in a fight outside a Baton Rouge bar said his client won't testify before a grand jury today, and may not at all. Tommy D'Amico represents Josh Johns, who was arrested along with Tigers quarterback Jordan Jefferson... more »

• Jefferson's attorney files for hearing over charges

  September 16, 2011 3:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The defense attorney for suspended LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson filed a motion today calling for a hearing to have the allegations against his client cleared. Lewis Unglesby stated in the motion that while Jefferson had been arrested in connection with a fight outside a Baton Rouge... more »

• Attorney asks for return of shoes, release of warrant information in Jefferson case

  September 7, 2011 10:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE- LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson's lawyer is asking a judge to order his shoes returned and force Baton Rouge Police to release the reason why they took them in the first place. Lewis Unglesby filed the court documents Wednesday afternoon. He says shoes that have been deemed... more »

• Attorney hopes video, new statements put Jefferson back to work

  August 30, 2011 9:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE- There's new video of what happened inside a bar before a fight that got two LSU football players arrested and kicked off the team. It's the same video sent to LSU Tuesday in an effort to get Jordan Jefferson reinstated to the team. The starting quarterback... more »

• No charges against Ascension Parish Planning Commissioners

  August 4, 2011 5:47 PM

  DONALDSONVILLE - Ascension Parish District Attorney Ricky Babin says there will be no charges filed against two members of the Parish Planning Commission accused of abusing their positions. Houmas House Plantation owner Kevin Kelly says commissioners Daniel Saterlee and Milton Clouatre, Jr., asked him to back a parish zoning... more »

• Sentence delayed in Tate stabbing

  June 17, 2011 5:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A 40-year-old Baker man convicted April 9 in the 2009 stabbing death of his wife, lawyer Chiquita Tate, in her downtown Baton Rouge office will not be sentenced Monday as originally scheduled. Lewis Unglesby, attorney for Greg Harris, said he will be involved in a jury trial set... more »

• Sorrento mayor, town attorney resigns

  April 19, 2011 3:34 PM

  SORRTENTO - Mayor Brenda Melancon, who was named interim mayor of Sorrento in October, has resigned from her post according to town officials. The town attorney, Erin Lanoux, has also stepped down according to town officials. Melancon reportedly resigned because of the recent news of irregularities in the... more »

• Trial set to begin in murdered attorney case

  March 25, 2011 4:01 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Opening statements begin today in the trial of a man accused of murdering high-profile attorney Chiquita Tate in 2009. A jury was selected Thursday after being delayed when Harris' attorney filed a motion to have all of the Judges recused. Judge Trudy White denied that request... more »

• Court appoints 3rd attorney in tree poisoning case

  February 22, 2011 12:39 PM

  AUBURN, Ala. - A third attorney has been appointed to represent the man charged with poisoning the Toomer's Corner oak trees on Auburn University's campus. The court appointed Montgomery's Jerry Blevins to handle the case. He replaces Jerry Hauser, who filed a motion Tuesday in Lee County Circuit... more »

• DA rejects complaint against school board member

  February 18, 2011 3:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - District attorneys have rejected a complaint that a school board member in East Baton Rouge Parish did not fully move back into the area he represents after its boundaries were redrawn. Hillar Moore's office released an eight-page report today that said Al Walker, the person who... more »

• Attorney General Caldwell files lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline

  February 16, 2011 3:10 PM

  Baton Rouge- Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has filed a civil action lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, LLC. The suit claims GSK illegally marked, priced, sold and promoted the diabetes medication rosiglitazone maleate under the trade names Avandia, Avandamet and Avandaryl. The suit claims that Louisiana's Medicaid program paid GSK $36... more »

• Nearly $1 million owed for ethics fines

  February 14, 2011 3:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE - We've got an update to a News 2 report from last week. People inside political circles owe nearly $1 million dollars in outstanding fines to the Louisiana Ethics Board. More than three dozen people on the list are from EBR, Livingston and Ascension Parishes. We've tracked some... more »

• AG: Man arrested for convincing NC girl to run away

  February 1, 2011 6:05 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS – Authorities have found a 17-year-old North Carolina girl who’d been missing since last summer in Denham Springs, and arrested the man investigators said convinced her to run away. Authorities arrested 34-year-old William David Jones after they said they found Faith Manuel at his residence in Denham Springs.... more »

• Judge asked to intervene in BP claims process

  February 1, 2011 4:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s governor and attorney general want a judge to step in and oversee communications between people claiming a portion of BP’s oil spill compensation fund and the fund’s administrator, Ken Feinberg. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell filed the motion in federal court in New Orleans today. It asks... more »

• Judge defends spill decision that miffed AG Caldwell

  January 28, 2011 11:09 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge is defending his decision to appoint Alabama's newly elected attorney general to coordinate all states' interests in the litigation spawned by the Deepwater Horizon explosion that led to the Gulf oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said in court Friday that his appointment... more »

• Hammond man arrested in child porn investigation

  January 25, 2011 4:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Authorities have arrested a 19-year-old Hammond man as part of an undercover child porn investigation. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrested Sean Joseph Decelle during a joint investigation with the state Attorney General’s High Technology Crime Unit. Decelle was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish prison without incident. If... more »

• Suspect in Arizona shooting held without bail

  January 10, 2011 3:53 PM

  PHOENIX - The suspect in a deadly Arizona shooting is being held without bail and has been assigned a lawyer who defended Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Timothy McVeigh. Jared Loughner entered a Phoenix courtroom Monday handcuffed and wearing a tan inmate uniform. His head is shaved and he has a... more »

• New Orleans man indicted on charges of fraud

  November 29, 2010 5:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A grand jury has indicted a New Orleans man accused of fraudulently claiming to be in charge of a nonprofit organization to solicit donations for what he said would be a war veterans home. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell announced Monday that the Baton Rouge grand jury charged... more »

• Demond Cook sentenced to life in prison

  November 2, 2010 3:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Demond Cook, the convicted felon who escaped custody and was re-captured after a 12-hour manhunt on Oct. 19, was given a life sentence today in Baton Rouge district court. The District Attorney's Office said Cook stipulated to prosecutor's argument that he was an habitual offender, and... more »

• Louisiana AG files suit against drug companies

  November 1, 2010 2:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit in Baton Rouge claiming drug companies milked millions of dollars from the state’s Medicaid program by lying about drug prices. 18 companies are named in the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Buddy Caldwell in district court Thursday. Caldwell alleges in... more »

• LSP investigating officials fighting over records request

  October 14, 2010 1:06 PM

  The Louisiana State Police have taken over an investigation into a scuffle between two officials in Baker, according to the city’s police chief. Chief Mike Knaps with the Baker Police Department said shortly after the incident last month his department asked LSP to investigate the complaint by Judge Kirk Williams.... more »

• BP suit stays in federal court

  October 6, 2010 3:03 PM

  A lawsuit that several Louisiana district attorneys filed against BP PLC over the Gulf oil spill is staying in federal court. The district attorneys for Terrebonne, St. Tammany and St. Mary parishes wanted their lawsuit transferred to state court, but U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier rejected that request Wednesday. Barbier... more »

• Mayor of St. Gabriel indicted in federal corruption case

  September 29, 2010 3:28 PM

  Federal authorities have indicted the mayor of St. Gabriel in a wide-ranging racketeering and corruption investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baton Rouge today unsealed an indictment against George Grace for 11 counts of racketeering, bribery, and mail fraud among other charges. The indictment alleges that Mayor Grace took bribes... more »

• Judge records scuffle with Baker city attorney

  September 23, 2010 5:53 PM

  Baker Police are investigating a city hall scuffle involving City Judge Kirk Williams and City Attorney Ron Wall. Williams was requesting access to public records at the time. He brought a camera to the counter as he viewed the records. Video from the camera appears to show Wall attempting... more »

• Attorneys appointed in quadruple slaying case

  September 17, 2010 8:15 AM

  Defense attorney Richard Bourke, director of the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center in New Orleans, has been appointed to represent 52-year-old Lee Roy Williams in a Calcasieu Parish quadruple slaying case. The appointment came during a Thursday court hearing. The American Press reports Lake Charles defense attorney Charles St. Dizier was... more »

• State Police say 'No Refusal' weekend has been successful

  September 6, 2010 5:52 PM

  State Police said a DWI crackdown has been a success for the holiday weekend. The official end of the weekend is tomorrow morning. So far, authorities said there have been no alcohol-related deaths reported in Louisiana State Police Troop A. Police said DWI arrests are at about half normal levels.... more »

• Port Allen mayor, police chief accused in "Blighted Officials"

  September 1, 2010 3:33 PM

  U. S. Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux announced today that two more public officials had been indicted in the ongoing federal investigation called "Operation Blighted Officials". Cazayoux said Mayor Derek Lewis and Police Chief Fred Smith of Port Allen have been accused of racketeering, mail fraud, wire fraud, and other... more »

• Attorney: parts of St. Helena Schools may have to close

  August 27, 2010 2:24 PM

  Portions of St. Helena Schools may have to be shut down starting Monday because of their deteriorated state, according to the school district’s attorney. Attorney Nelson Taylor told WBRZ that according to the fire marshal’s inspection of the school’s facilities, he “anticipates” some classrooms in both buildings will have to... more »

• Powerball jackpot winners claiming prize

  August 26, 2010 8:05 AM

  An attorney is coming forward on behalf of an 11-member family partnership to claim the $85.7 million Powerball prize. The winning ticket was sold at the Circle K at 9110 Airline Hwy. in Baton Rouge. The annuity prize amount is valued at an estimated $85.7 million, which would be paid... more »

• Former Monroe lawyer sentenced for felony theft

  August 26, 2010 7:24 AM

  A former Monroe attorney has been sentenced to seven years hard labor on each of six counts of felony theft of funds belonging to his former clients. However, all but two years of the seven-year sentence were suspended. Bernard Grenrood was sentenced to five years probation and ordered him pay... more »

• Lawyer database created for oil spill victims

  August 11, 2010 5:39 AM

  The National Bar Association is creating a database of attorneys for residents seeking legal help in the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill. The attorney database will be posted on the group's website. The oil spill already has spawned hundreds of lawsuits and many more claims by individuals and businesses.... more »

• Lafayette attorney chair of N.O. public hospital

  July 30, 2010 5:56 AM

  A Lafayette attorney and funeral home director will chair the governing board for the public hospital to be built in New Orleans. LSU System President John Lombardi named Elaine Abell to chair the University Medical Center Management Corp. Abell said its first meeting will be sometime in August. The Legislature... more »

• Alleged priest killer wants trial moved

  June 22, 2010 5:31 AM

  The attorney for a Houma man accused of killing a priest nearly 18 years ago wants the upcoming trial moved from Lafourche Parish. Derrick Odomes faces first-degree murder in the 1992 slaying of the Rev. Hunter Horgan inside the rectory of St. John's Episcopal Church in Thibodaux. Odomes was 14... more »

• Senate confirms Finley as U.S. Attorney in Western District

  May 28, 2010 2:38 PM

  Behind the push of United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., the Senate, has confirmed Stephanie Finley as U.S. Attorney for Louisiana's Western District. Finley has practiced law in the federal arena as a Judge Advocate and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the past 18 years. She is... more »

• Sentencing set in attorney theft case

  May 25, 2010 7:47 AM

  A former Monroe attorney who pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from his clients will be sentenced next month. Bernard Grenrood pleaded guilty in March to six counts of theft in excess of $500 and was supposed to have been sentenced Monday. Sentencing was delayed until June 24 because... more »

• State AGs ask feds for help on oil spill damages

  May 6, 2010 2:01 PM

  The attorneys general of five states threatened by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are asking President Obama for federal help in preparing assessments of the damage from the oil spill. Under federal law, responsible parties also have unlimited liability for clean-up costs. more »

• Lawyer: throw out alleged confession in slaying

  May 4, 2010 5:17 AM

  Defense attorney want a man's alleged confession in a shooting to be thrown out because Mekell Tackno is mentally disabled, illiterate, and is very hard of hearing. Tackno is charged with second-degree murder of 18-year-old Ronnie Brown in Thibodaux. Conviction would mean life in prison. He was arrested hours after... more »

• Man arrested for impersonating attorney

  May 3, 2010 4:55 PM

  Louisiana State Police troopers arrested a man in Baton Rouge Monday on charges he had been unlawfully practicing law in Ascension Parish. Investigators with the Office of Disciplinary Council in Baton Rouge requested the assistance of State Police after they received several complaints about a suspicious person posing as... more »

• Man appeals manslaughter conviction

  March 16, 2010 7:06 AM

  A Thibodaux man serving a 40-year sentence for manslaughter will appear in district court later this month to request an appeal, claiming his attorney inadequately represented him. Steven Butler pleaded guilty more than two years ago to a lessened charge of manslaughter in the stabbing death of Peter Andras Jr.... more »

• Panel favors 3 years for 4th-DWI offense

  February 23, 2010 8:02 AM

  The minimum jail time for third- and fourth-offense drunken drivers would rise significantly under a plan endorsed by Gov. Bobby Jindal's DWI task force. Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John F. DeRosier says third-time offenders would have to spend one year behind bars. The current minimum is 45 days. He says... more »

• John Sinquefield to retire

  September 17, 2009 12:32 PM

  The number two man at the Louisiana Attorney General's Office announced his retirement on Thursday. Sinquefield will retire effective Oct. 16. He is expected to continue working with the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney's Office. Sinquefield said he is retiring to have more time to travel. more »