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• Investigation: appeal filed in case over man never serving sentence

  May 13, 2013 10:41 PM

  GONZALES- Prosecutors filed an appeal after they lost a hearing to have a man serve time for a crime he was convicted of nearly twenty years ago. Stanley White never served a sentence for killing an eleven-week-old in a crash. A mistake in the justice system has been blamed... more »

• US government files morning-after pill appeal

  May 13, 2013 11:19 AM

  NEW YORK - The government has filed a last-second appeal that will delay the sale of the morning-after contraceptive pill to girls of any age without a prescription. The appeal was filed shortly before a noon Monday deadline. Brooklyn federal Judge Edward Korman says politics is behind efforts by Secretary... more »

• OJ Simpson heads to court to fight for freedom

  May 11, 2013 12:39 PM

  LAS VEGAS - The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom Monday will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. His 1995 trial is the stuff of legends, the... more »

• Kobe: Mom wasn't given permission to sell my stuff

  May 9, 2013 10:07 AM

  CAMDEN, N.J. - Kobe Bryant says in a court filing that he never gave his mother permission to sell mementos from his high school days and early professional basketball career. Bryant is in a court battle over whether hundreds of items can be auctioned off. Pamela Bryant says... more »

• Voucher controversy and uncertainty leaves parents in limbo Play Video

  May 7, 2013 10:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Private schools and Governor Bobby Jindal tell benefactors not to worry, but parents are the ones left in a state of uncertainty when it comes to vouchers. Tuesday, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled funding of the state's voucher program was unconstitutional. Lawmakers used money set aside... more »

• La. Supreme Court rules voucher funding unconstitutional Play Video

  May 7, 2013 10:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state's highest court ruled today that the funding formula for Gov. Bobby Jindal's key education reform, school vouchers, violates the state's constitution. Today's ruling was 6-1, with Justice Greg Guidry dissenting. It affects Act 2, which diverts per-student funding to private and parochial schools to... more »

• Kobe Bryant battles mom, NJ business over auction

  May 3, 2013 9:11 AM

  CAMDEN, N.J.- Kobe Bryant is in a court battle to try to keep his mother from auctioning off mementos from his high school days in Pennsylvania and his early NBA career. A southern New Jersey auction house is suing for the right to sell the stuff after the NBA star's... more »

• 'Billy the Exterminator' drug charge: guilty plea

  May 1, 2013 4:07 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - William "Billy" Bretherton's attorney says the star of the A&E reality TV show "Billy the Exterminator" has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of possessing synthetic marijuana. Allyn Stroud says Bretherton was put on probation for a year and prosecutors dropped charges against his wife. Billy and... more »

• Mayor to face contempt accusations in court

  April 30, 2013 10:42 AM

  PORT ALLEN - A hearing to determine if Mayor Deedy Slaughter of Port Allen violated a judge's order not to interfere with the city's chief financial officer has been continued until May. Today Mayor Slaughter had new attorneys representing her. Judge Alvin Batiste told both sides the court issued... more »

• Judge: LSU must release candidates' names

  April 25, 2013 3:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A judge ruled today that LSU must release the names of candidates who were considered for the newly-formed president's position. F. King Alexander, from California, was selected from a pool of candidates, but his was the only name released. Journalists sued when LSU refused to release... more »

• Prosecution expected to rest today in Louding trial

  April 25, 2013 10:46 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The prosecution is expected to wrap its case against "Marlo" Michael Louding Thursday in district court. Wednesday night, the getaway driver in the murder for hire plot, Adrian Pittman, testified against Louding for a lesser sentence. Pittman pleaded guilty to manslaughter in November for his... more »

• Covington contractor pleads guilty in loan case

  April 25, 2013 7:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A 40-year-old Covington contractor pleaded guilty in federal court to filing false records with a bank to obtain a $3.45 million loan. Raymond Grow III pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of making a false statement in his loan application to First American Bank and Trust... more »

• Haliburton seeking settlement over Gulf oil spill

  April 22, 2013 10:14 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says it is trying to negotiate a settlement over its role in the disaster. Halliburton Chief Financial Officer Mark McCollum said Monday that talks are at an "advanced stage." The... more »

• Judge recuses himself in White case

  April 15, 2013 10:34 PM

  GONZALES- A judge assigned to a hearing to decide if a man should serve prison time for a deadly car crash 19-years ago has recused himself. Judge Thomas Kliebert was to preside over Stanley White's hearing. Instead, Judge Jesse LeBlanc will handle the case. White was convicted for... more »

• BP manager testifies at trial over Gulf oil spill

  April 15, 2013 9:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A BP team leader who supervised managers on the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says he was frustrated by last-minute changes to the drilling project but didn't have any safety concerns before the deadly blast. John Guide was the first witness to... more »

• AG wants court to make man go to prison

  April 11, 2013 10:23 PM

  GONZALES- The Attorney General said a man, convicted in connection with a deadly car crash in Ascension Parish almost two decades ago, should report to prison to serve his sentence. The A.G. recommended a lower court revoke Stanley White's appeal bond. White was sentenced in July 1995 and sentenced... more »

• Texas college stabbing suspect heads to court

  April 11, 2013 8:52 AM

  HOUSTON - A man accused of stabbing more than a dozen people at a Houston-area college is set to make his first court appearance since being charged in the attack. 20-year-old Dylan Quick is charged with three counts of aggravated assault in the Tuesday attack at Lone Star Community... more »

• Suspect in feticide case pleads insanity Play Video

  April 8, 2013 6:24 PM

  LIVINGSTON PARISH - The man accused of cutting his unborn child from his wife's womb changed his plea in court today. Represented by a new lawyer, Jeffery Reynolds entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. Reynolds faces feticide charges for the attack in October 2012.... more »

• Sheriff testifies in hearing on Orleans jail

  April 4, 2013 10:01 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Testifying in a federal hearing, New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman raised the possibility that a video depicting drug use and weapon possession in the jail he oversees may have been doctored. Gusman was imprecise on exactly when he first saw the videos made in 2009. And he... more »

• BP appeals ruling in Gulf spill settlement

  April 4, 2013 9:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP has appealed a federal judge's interpretation of settlement terms governing payouts to businesses that claim the company's massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them money. BP has asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review last month's ruling by District... more »

• Accused drunk driver case heads back to court

  April 4, 2013 8:01 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The case against the man accused of killing a cyclist last year returns to court today. Police say Joseph Branch had a blood alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit when he struck Nathan Crowson and Daniel Morris on Perkins Rd. back in January 2012.... more »

• Oil spill trial to resume today

  April 2, 2013 8:51 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Legal proceedings in the 2010 deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster is scheduled to resume Tuesday with testimony expected from a Halliburton employee who was on the rig when it exploded. Jesse Gagliano worked on the failed cement job that led to BP's well blowout. He was interviewed by... more »

• Powerball winner due in court over child support

  April 1, 2013 8:48 AM

  PATERSON, N.J.- The New Jersey man who just won a $338 million Powerball jackpot is now due in court. Pedro Quezada is scheduled to appear Monday afternoon in state Superior Court in Paterson. The 1:30 p.m. hearing stems from a child support warrant issued for the 44-year-old Passaic resident, who... more »

• Baton Rouge man convicted for having gun as felon

  March 28, 2013 12:07 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A 30-year-old man has been convicted in Baton Rouge federal court on a charge that he was a felon in illegal possession of a firearm in May 2009 when two police officers stopped him for a traffic violation. Lonnie Poydras, of Baton Rouge, became a convicted felon... more »

• Court could avoid wide-ranging ruling on gay marriage

  March 26, 2013 5:18 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court could end up avoiding a major national ruling on whether America's gays have a right to marry. During arguments today on California's ban on same-sex marriage, several justices raised doubts that the case should even be before them. And Justice Anthony Kennedy -- possibly the... more »

• Italy high court overturns Knox acquittal

  March 26, 2013 7:37 AM

  ROME - Amanda Knox says it's "painful" to have had her acquittal of murder overturned by Italy's highest court. An appeals court in Florence must re-hear the case against the former American exchange student and her Italian ex-boyfriend. The two were convicted of killing Knox's roommate in 2007,... more »

• Michigan-made Final Four floor heading to Atlanta

  March 25, 2013 10:30 AM

  AMASA, Mich. - The Michigan-made portable maple court for men's college basketball's Final Four is making the trip this week to Atlanta. Connor Sport Court International says work on the floor began last year. A truck hauling the floor is scheduled to make stops at University of Tennessee... more »

• Buyout moves forward for people near sewer plant

  March 21, 2013 10:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A judge approved modifications to the sewer system's consent decree, paving the way for buyouts of houses near a sewer plant. People in University Place Subdivision are closer to getting out of the area they've complained about for years. The city will appraise houses, and hopes... more »

• Appeals court rules for La. monks in casket fight

  March 20, 2013 12:38 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal appeals court says Benedictine monks may keep selling caskets from their monastery in Louisiana. The three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling in favor of St. Joseph Abbey and against the state board of funeral directors' rule that only... more »

• State seeks to get back Medicaid money

  March 8, 2013 9:05 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State officials have confirmed plans to ask an appellate court to overturn a federal judge's order that says Louisiana owed the federal government $239.5 million for Medicaid overpayments between 1996 and 2007. Officials with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals contend in court filings that the Centers... more »

• Eligibility shakes up 4A girls basketball semifinal Play Video

  March 1, 2013 3:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The girls basketball team from St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge is taking part in the Southeast Regionals of the state championships today. Who they're playing, though, has been in flux. The Louisiana High School Athletics Association said late this afternoon that Salmen High School... more »

• Penney CEO to testify over Martha Stewart pact

  March 1, 2013 7:58 AM

  NEW YORK - It's been a tough week to be Ron Johnson. After facing down investors this week over a dismal quarterly performance, the J.C. Penney CEO will be in the spotlight again - in court. Johnson is expected to testify Friday in New York State Supreme Court in... more »

• La. Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson takes oath

  February 28, 2013 2:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- The state's first black Supreme Court Chief Justice, Bernette Johnson, took her oath of office today in New Orleans. The public ceremony was held on the steps of the Supreme Court building in the French Quarter. Johnson succeeded Catherine "Kitty" Kimball, following her retirement. Johnson... more »

• Court rejects $1B in 'phony tax deductions' by Dow

  February 27, 2013 6:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal court in Louisiana is rejecting transactions by The Dow Chemical Co. that created $1 billion in what the U.S. Justice Department calls "phony tax deductions." Justice said Wednesday that the tax-reduction scheme was created by Goldman Sachs and the law firm of King & Spalding.... more »

• Woman jailed for weeks, sues over rental car issue Play Video

  February 27, 2013 4:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A woman in Baton Rouge said she spent over 21 days in jail over a paperwork error. Percival Franklin is not the type of person who gets into trouble. But trouble began for her in 2006, when she rented a car from Hertz Rental at Metro Airport.... more »

• Is Johnny Football headed to court?

  February 27, 2013 10:44 AM

  COLLEGE STATION, Texas - A company representing Texas A&M Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has filed a lawsuit to stop the sale of T-shirts using his "Johnny Football" nickname. The federal lawsuit seeks damages for alleged trademark infringement and reimbursement for court fees and other compensation. It was filed by... more »

• High-stakes trial resumes over 2010 Gulf oil spill

  February 26, 2013 9:15 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A University of California-Berkeley engineer who played a prominent role in investigating levee breeches in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is scheduled to be the first witness Tuesday at a trial over the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Robert Bea is an expert witness for... more »

• No date for sanity ruling in beheading case

  February 19, 2013 8:00 AM

  THIBODAUX - Attorneys don't know when a Lafourche Parish judge will rule on whether a man accused of beheading his disabled son is able to help his attorneys and therefore fit to stand trial on a charge of first-degree murder of 7-year-old Jori Lirette. Jeremiah Wright's attorneys have not entered... more »

• Pistorius says no intentions to kill girlfriend

  February 19, 2013 7:36 AM

  PRETORIA, South Africa - Oscar Pistorius says he shot his girlfriend to death by mistake, thinking she was a robber. The double amputee said in an affidavit read by his lawyer at his bail hearing Tuesday that he felt vulnerable because he did not have on his prosthetic legs when... more »

• Judge refuses to modify desegregation decree

  February 7, 2013 6:43 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The federal judge overseeing Tangipahoa Parish's decades-old desegregation case has denied the school board's request for a status conference to discuss possible modifications to the court-ordered desegregation plan. U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle instead directed the attorneys to meet in an effort to reach a consensus... more »

• Detective delivers graphic testimony during feticide hearing Play Video

  February 4, 2013 6:11 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - A courtroom listened to disturbing testimony from one of the first Livingston Parish deputies to arrive at the home of Jeffrey Reynolds, the man accused of cutting his unborn child from his wife's body. Detective Jeff Beatty with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office described what he... more »

• Catholic Hospital acknowledges error

  February 4, 2013 12:34 PM

  DENVER - A Catholic hospital acknowledges it was "morally wrong" to argue in court that a fetus is not a human being under Colorado law. Attorneys representing St. Thomas More Hospital took that position in papers filed to fend off a wrongful death lawsuit brought after unborn twins died in... more »

• Doctor: Wright not clearly psychotic, can be tried

  February 4, 2013 10:12 AM

  THIBODAUX - A psychiatrist says a man accused of beheading his son is not clearly psychotic and is competent for trial. Dr. Mark Wilson headed the team that decided last summer that Jeremiah Wright was competent for trial on a charge of murdering 7-year-old Jori Lirette. The Daily Comet reports... more »

• Civil rights lawyers: NYPD spying violates rules

  February 4, 2013 6:43 AM

  WASHINGTON - Civil rights lawyers are telling a judge that the New York Police Department's surveillance of Muslim communities violates federal guidelines established to stop the NYPD from conducting political surveillance. The lawyers say in a court motion the NYPD has renewed such scrutiny in its post-9/11 focus on Muslims.... more »

• City of NO asks to vacate police reform order

  February 1, 2013 5:45 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The city of New Orleans has filed a voluminous court document seeking to vacate a consent decree designed to clean up problems within its police department. The motion to vacate was filed in federal court Thursday. The city contends it was forced to withdraw its consent to... more »

• La. judge suspended over misconduct in drug case

  January 31, 2013 7:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Supreme Court has suspended a judge for one year without pay over allegations that his decision to reduce a man's prison sentence was based on personal and political motivations. The divided Supreme Court also on Tuesday ordered 7th Judicial District Court Judge Leo Boothe to... more »

• Randy Travis to enter drunken driving plea

  January 31, 2013 2:41 AM

  SHERMAN, Texas - Country music star Randy Travis is scheduled to appear in a North Texas court, where prosecutors say he is expected to plead guilty to driving while intoxicated. The hearing in state district court in Sherman would end a drunken driving case that began last summer when Travis... more »

• Next in BP spill saga: civil trial worth billions

  January 30, 2013 6:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Now that the U.S. Justice Department's criminal probe of BP PLC is resolved, the company faces billions of dollars more in civil penalties for its role in the 2010 massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. On Tuesday, a federal judge agreed to let the London-based... more »

• Christian school's lawsuit may test court ruling

  January 30, 2013 2:43 AM

  LOS ANGELES - A lawsuit by a Southern California Christian school against two former teachers who refused to provide proof of their faith could pose one of the first court tests of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on religious freedom. A legal expert said last year's ruling that religious workers... more »

• Judge to rule on BP's plea deal over Gulf spill

  January 29, 2013 6:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge will decide whether to approve an agreement for BP PLC to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges and pay a record $4 billion in criminal penalties for the company's role in the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. District Judge... more »

• Woman accused of fatal NY subway push due in court

  January 29, 2013 2:41 AM

  NEW YORK - A woman accused of shoving a man to his death from a New York City subway platform is expected in court. Erika Menendez is being held on a charge of murder as a hate crime in the Dec. 29 death of 46-year-old India native Sunando Sen. She... more »

• Powerhouse Gym owners evicted Play Video

  January 25, 2013 6:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Powerhouse Gym owners Ronnie and Connie Olah were evicted from the property on Sherwood Forest Boulevard in court this morning. An attorney for the gym's landlord told News 2, "they've handed over the keys." John Kovalcik created signs for the gym in 2011, but was never... more »

• Court sets aside 2 of Casey Anthony's convictions

  January 25, 2013 11:00 AM

  ORLANDO, Fla.- A Florida appellate court has set aside two of the four convictions Casey Anthony faced for lying to detectives during the investigation into her missing 2-year-old daughter. Judges on the 5th District Court of Appeals agreed with Anthony's attorneys Friday that two of the charges constituted double jeopardy,... more »

• Suspects arrive at court for India gang rape trial

  January 24, 2013 2:46 AM

  NEW DELHI - Five men accused in the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a New Delhi bus have arrived at a special fast-track court for the start of their trial. The court is expected to hear opening arguments Thursday as the rape and murder trial gets... more »

• Edwards asks feds to end supervised release early

  January 22, 2013 2:37 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana's flamboyant former Gov. Edwin Edwards says he's done his time, paid $2 million in fines and forfeitures and done everything required for his supervised release, and wants the supervision to end now. Federal prosecutors support the request. They say Edwards has served more than 18 months... more »

• Ex-Bengals cheerleader's lawsuit trial to begin

  January 21, 2013 6:58 AM

  CINCINNATI - A former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader who had sex with her underage student and is now in a relationship with him is about to begin another court battle Tuesday. Sarah Jones is a 27-year-old northern Kentucky woman who was convicted three months ago of having sex with her... more »

• Feticide suspect blames synthetic drugs at hearing Play Video

  January 17, 2013 4:02 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - The Livingston Parish man accused of stabbing his wife and cutting their unborn baby from her womb blamed synthetic drugs today during a court hearing. Jeffrey Reynolds made the comments to reporters as he was being taken away after the hearing. "I love my wife... more »

• Judge asked to delay ex-N.O. cop's trial

  January 17, 2013 3:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has been asked to postpone the retrial of a retired New Orleans police sergeant charged with helping cover up deadly shootings on a bridge after Hurricane Katrina. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt didn't immediately rule on the joint request by lawyers for Gerard Dugue... more »

• Voucher program can continue in Tangipahoa

  January 16, 2013 2:30 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal appeals court has ruled that the state can continue its private school tuition voucher program in Tangipahoa Parish, despite the Tangipahoa Parish School Board's claim that the program could affect a decades-old school desegregation case. A U.S. District judge had blocked the voucher program... more »

• Lawsuit challenges Jindal budgeting tactics

  January 15, 2013 1:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Jefferson Parish lawmakers have lodged a legal challenge against the state's budget, asking a judge to declare its financing a violation of Louisiana's Constitution. Reps. Kirk Talbot and Cameron Henry, both Republicans, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in state district court in Baton Rouge. The lawsuit is... more »

• Federal judge delays ex-BP engineer's trial

  January 14, 2013 4:20 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has agreed to postpone the trial of a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Kurt Mix's trial was scheduled to start Feb. 25, but U.S. District Judge Stanwood... more »

• Justice Thomas speaks for 1st time in 7 years

  January 14, 2013 1:03 PM

  WASHINGTON - Justice Clarence Thomas did something at a Supreme Court argument Monday for the first time in nearly seven years - he spoke. But what Thomas said is not clear, other than he appears to have joked about Ivy League lawyers. The argument transcript only records a few words.... more »

• Former judge pleads guilty to 2 counts of theft

  January 14, 2013 9:03 AM

  LAKE CHARLES - A former state court judge has pleaded guilty to two counts of theft in 14th Judicial District Court. 62-year-old Greg Lyons of Lake Charles faced 13 counts, but pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of theft over $500 and was sentenced to five years' probation and... more »

• Victim's father's outburst ends Colorado court hearing

  January 11, 2013 3:13 PM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo.- The father of one of the victims of the Colorado movie theater shootings is promising there will be no more outbursts. Steve Hernandez apologized to the judge today, after shouting during a hearing today that accused gunman James Holmes should "rot in Hell." Hernandez was the father of... more »

• Colo. theater shooting case enters new phase

  January 11, 2013 7:25 AM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes faces arraignment Friday. That comes after a judge on Thursday night ruled he should stand trial on all 166 counts against him. But his attorneys say they're not ready to enter a plea and plan to seek a... more »

• Transocean spill settlement heads to court

  January 9, 2013 7:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Transocean Ltd. is scheduled to make an initial court appearance in New Orleans Wednesday for its plea agreement with the Justice Department over the company's role in the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Transocean has agreed to pay $400 million in criminal... more »

• Holmes prosecution to call last witness

  January 9, 2013 7:17 AM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Prosecutors in Colorado are expected to call their final witness today in the preliminary hearing for James Holmes, the former grad student accused of killing 12 people and wounding dozens in a movie theater in July. Yesterday, authorities testified that Holmes spent more than two months... more »

• FBI: Holmes' booby trap included improvised napalm

  January 8, 2013 1:36 PM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. - An elaborate booby trap system allegedly set up to pull police away from the Colorado theater shooting included improvised napalm and thermite, which burns so hot that water can't put out the blaze. FBI bomb technician Garrett Gumbinner described the system Tuesday at a hearing in which... more »

• Colo. shooting hearings impact Baton Rouge victim Play Video

  January 8, 2013 11:05 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Colorado theater massacre court hearings are happening in another state, but they are impacting a victim in Louisiana. Bonnie Kate Pourciau survived the shooting, which happened in July. She was shot in the leg. Pourciau and other victims of the shooting are invited to... more »

• Lawyer re-nominated for federal judgeship in B.R.

  January 4, 2013 10:45 AM

  BATON ROUGE - President Barack Obama has re-nominated Shelly Deckert Dick to fill a vacancy on the federal bench in Baton Rouge. Dick, a Baton Rouge attorney, originally was nominated in April 2012. She is one of 33 candidates for federal judgeships who were re-nominated Thursday by Obama. Obama said... more »

• BP worker loses appeal over court-ordered exam

  January 3, 2013 2:48 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal appeals court has refused to overturn a ruling that a BP rig supervisor must submit to a medical exam to determine if he is fit to be questioned under oath for civil litigation spawned by the company's Gulf oil spill. A three-judge panel from the... more »

• Governor to sue NCAA over Penn state sanctions

  January 1, 2013 3:47 PM

  HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett says he plans to sue the NCAA in federal court over sanctions imposed against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. The Republican governor has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday in State College to announce the... more »

• Appeals court to hear Baton Rouge mayor's case

  December 27, 2012 2:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A state appeals court will hear a dispute over allegations that Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden violated campaign spending laws in 2010. The Advocate reports that the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal scheduled a Jan. 11 hearing to review a district judge's ruling that Holden didn't violate the... more »

• Ecstasy suspect to be in federal court Friday

  December 27, 2012 7:21 AM

  BATON ROUGE - An alleged coordinator for an Ecstasy organization in Vietnam is scheduled to appear in federal court Friday to answer charges that he conspired to send more than 1.1 million tablets of the illegal drug from Canada to Baton Rouge. Vinh Van Trinh was arrested Dec. 3 in... more »

• 3 charged in Indianapolis home blast due in court

  December 24, 2012 8:23 AM

  INDIANAPOLIS - Three people charged in a gas explosion that devastated an Indianapolis neighborhood, killing a couple, are set to appear before a judge. Homeowner Monserrate Shirley, her boyfriend Mark Leonard and his brother, Bob Leonard, face initial court appearances set for Monday morning. The three were arrested... more »

• Bond lowered for Cowboy Brent, must wear monitor

  December 18, 2012 10:24 AM

  DALLAS - A judge has ordered Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent to wear an electronic monitor while free on an intoxication manslaughter charge in a car crash that killed a teammate. A judge modified conditions for his continued release and lowered bond from $500,000 to $100,000 during Brent's Tuesday... more »

• Saints coach: Witnesses lied in NFL investigation

  December 13, 2012 4:01 PM

  METAIRIE - Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt says witnesses in the NFL's bounty investigation of New Orleans' pay-for-pain system have lied about him and the organization and that their stories might change in federal court. Vitt angrily said Thursday he feels the truth will come out in federal court,... more »

• Judge denies bond motions in Trayvon Martin case

  December 11, 2012 10:25 AM

  SANFORD, Fla. - A Florida judge has denied defense requests to end 24-hour GPS monitoring of George Zimmerman while he is out on bond in the fatal shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Judge Debra Nelson denied bond requests from Zimmerman's defense team Tuesday. Besides dropping the monitoring, the... more »

• Family of 7 killed in East Feliciana wreck prepares for trial

  December 9, 2012 6:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The man accused of killing seven people in a head on crash in East Feliciana Parish will go to trial tomorrow. The victims' family members say they will be in court each day to fight for justice. "We want the DA to prosecute this matter to... more »

• Court to hear gay marriage cases

  December 7, 2012 3:37 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will take up California's ban on same-sex marriage, a case that could give the justices the chance to rule on whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. The justices said Monday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that... more »

• Runoff elections tomorrow in Louisiana

  December 7, 2012 12:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Secretary of State's office isn't expecting a high turnout for tomorrow's runoff elections. Not all parishes have a lot on the ballot, and so far more than 50,000 people voted early statewide. In Baton Rouge, voters will decide who takes an open seat on... more »

• Ex-BP executive seeks trial delay in spill case

  December 7, 2012 8:56 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former BP executive is asking a federal judge to postpone his trial on charges he concealed information from Congress about the amount of oil that was spewing from the company's blown-out well in 2010. A trial for David Rainey is scheduled to start Jan. 28.... more »

• New judge assigned to case against BP supervisors

  December 5, 2012 3:07 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A new judge has been assigned to the case against two BP supervisors charged in the deaths of 11 workers aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in 2010. The case had been assigned to U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle, who disclosed last month that his wife owns... more »

• Businessman pleads guilty in bribery scheme

  December 5, 2012 12:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A businessman charged with plotting to bribe an unidentified former New Orleans public official has pleaded guilty. Rodney Williams entered the plea Wednesday to bribery conspiracy charges in U.S. District Court. Court papers don't name the city official, but his tenure matches former Mayor Ray Nagin's term... more »

• Court date in NY hotel maid's suit vs. Strauss-Kahn

  December 4, 2012 10:02 AM

  NEW YORK - A court date has been set for next week to discuss a New York City hotel maid's sexual assault lawsuit against former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Office of Court Administration spokesman David Bookstaver says the hearing will be held 10 a.m. Monday in the... more »

• Miss. student challenges suspension over rap song

  December 4, 2012 8:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A Mississippi student was exercising his free speech rights when he posted a rap song online that criticized two coaches whom he accused of misconduct toward female students, his attorneys have told a federal appeals court. However, school officials in Itawamba County, Miss., say Taylor Bell... more »

• 2 admit to over-fishing sharks in La.

  November 30, 2012 3:28 PM

  BELLE CHASSE - Two men have pleaded guilty to a Louisiana fishing violation after authorities said fins from hundreds of sharks were found aboard their vessel. Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says 37-year-old Rick Nguyen of Buras and 29-year-old Hung Anh Tiet of Dallas pleaded guilty Thursday to concealing... more »

• Judge rules school voucher funding unconstitutional Play Video

  November 30, 2012 2:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A district court judge ruled today the funding formula in Gov. Bobby Jindal's school voucher program violates the state's constitution. Judge Tim Kelley made the ruling after a week of arguments and testimony in Baton Rouge. He said it was against the constitution to send tax... more »

• Used car dealer sentenced in odometer fraud case

  November 30, 2012 10:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Justice Department says Beau Michael Guidry of Baton Rouge has been sentenced in connection with an odometer tampering scheme that defrauded victims in and around Louisiana. U.S. District Judge James J. Brady sentenced Guidry Thursday to 20 months in prison and one year of supervised release... more »

• NH couple charged in boy burning case due in court

  November 30, 2012 9:08 AM

  ORLANDO, Fla. - A fugitive couple arrested at a Florida theme park will voluntarily return to New Hampshire to face charges in the beating and burning of the woman's 3-year-old son. A judge in Orlando, Fla., accepted the extradition waiver of 23-year-old Jessica Linscott and her boyfriend, 27-year-old, Roland... more »

• Gay marriages could see Supreme Court action

  November 29, 2012 2:48 PM

  WASHINGTON - The running fight over gay marriage is shifting from the ballot box to the Supreme Court. Three weeks after voters backed same-sex marriage in three states and defeated a ban in a fourth, the justices are meeting Friday to decide whether they should deal sooner rather than later... more »

• Tagliabue holds Saints bounties hearing in DC

  November 29, 2012 10:01 AM

  WASHINGTON - Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and lawyers for the league and the players' union have arrived for a hearing in the Saints bounties case. Tagliabue is overseeing the latest round of player appeals in Washington. Former Saints assistant Mike Cerullo, a key witness in the NFL's... more »

• Former Dillard administrator facing theft charge

  November 28, 2012 3:47 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A former Dillard University administrator faces a Jan. 7 trial on a charge that he overbilled the school for repairs performed by a company he owned. The Times-Picayune reports that a one-count federal theft indictment alleges that Matthew Gardner, Dillard's former facilities director, concealed his role in... more »

• BP arraigned in oil spill case, pleads not guilty

  November 27, 2012 3:21 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A lawyer for BP PLC entered a not-guilty plea for the company as it was arraigned on charges stemming from a deadly 2010 rig explosion and massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The plea Tuesday in federal court was a procedural move paving the... more »