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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 »

• DOJ considers appeal of morning-after pill ruling

  April 5, 2013 4:13 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department hasn't yet said whether it will appeal today's ruling by a federal judge, striking down the age restrictions on the over-the-counter purchases of the morning-after pill. The judge said the restrictions are "arbitrary" and "unreasonable," and that they must end within 30 days. That means... 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 »

• Southern hosting "Stop the Violence March"

  February 26, 2013 11:07 AM

  BATON ROUGE - People will march against violence tonight at Southern University. Southern University's Black History Club, Criminal Justice Club, NCAAP and Student Government Association are hosting a "Stop the Violence March." Students and people from the community will march at 5 p.m. from the Smith-Brown Memorial Union... more »

• Lack of death penalty attorneys leads to wait for justice Play Video

  February 22, 2013 2:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A News 2 investigation uncovered that death penalty trials are being pushed back over and over again due to the lack of qualified lawyers, and the families of victims are giving up hope during their long wait for justice. There are only two public defenders in... more »

• Council to talk with Department of Justice about BRPD

  February 21, 2013 12:28 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Some members of the city's Metro Council have asked for a meeting with the Department of Justice to discuss the police department. The effort, led by C. Denise Marcelle, comes after Mayor Kip Holden fired Dewayne White as chief of police. In a hearing about his... more »

• Kimball retires after 20 years at Supreme Court

  February 1, 2013 6:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - After 20 years of service on the Louisiana Supreme Court, Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball has formally retired. Kimball, who officially retired Thursday, became the first woman on the Supreme Court when she was elected in 1992 from the Fifth District, which covers Ascension, East and... 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 »

• 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 »

• Petraeus mistress won't face cyberstalking charge

  December 18, 2012 10:55 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is dropping its investigation into whether David Petraeus' mistress, Paula Broadwell, stalked a romantic rival online. Broadwell's lawyer, Robert Muse, gave The Associated Press a letter from U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill that says no federal charges will be brought in Florida related to "alleged acts... 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 »

• 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 »

• Justice official: Register voters automatically

  November 16, 2012 2:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - One of the top enforcers of the nation's civil rights laws says government should be responsible for automatically registering citizens to vote by using existing databases to compile lists of all eligible residents in each jurisdiction. The proposal by Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, chief of the Justice... more »

• Environmental group says BP penalty isn't enough

  November 15, 2012 4:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Lawyers for two BP oil rig workers say the Justice Department is trying to make scapegoats out of them. The two were indicted today on federal charges including manslaughter, in the deaths of 11 workers in the rig explosion that led to the Gulf oil spill two... more »

• La. high court rules Johnson will be chief justice

  October 16, 2012 10:38 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that Bernette Johnson will be the court's next chief justice, resolving a legal dispute that wound up in federal court. The court's ruling Tuesday says Johnson's years of appointed and elected service on the court give her the seniority that entitles... more »

• DOJ seeks to join lawsuit against Orleans prison

  September 24, 2012 5:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Justice Department is asking to join a class action lawsuit that accuses Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman of overseeing a jail that routinely subjects prisoners to brutal, inhumane conditions. The federal agency filed a request Monday in federal court, asking to be included as a... more »

• Lawmakers to hear from 'gun-walking' investigator

  September 20, 2012 8:50 AM

  WASHINGTON - The report on the bungled federal gun-trafficking probe known as Fast and Furious is the subject today at a hearing by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The report faults the Justice Department for mistakes made in an operation that allowed hundreds of guns to reach... more »

• Transocean, feds considered $1.5B settlement

  September 10, 2012 1:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Transocean Ltd. and the Justice Department have discussed a $1.5 billion settlement that would resolve federal claims over the company's role in the 2010 rig explosion that led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill. But Switzerland-based Transocean Ltd. said in a regulatory filing Monday that several... more »

• Feds vow to prove gross negligence by BP

  September 5, 2012 10:07 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department is urging a federal judge to ignore BP's assertion that the Gulf Coast's natural resources are making a "robust recovery" from its massive 2010 oil spill. In a strongly worded court filing, government lawyers also renewed their vow to prove BP engaged in... more »

• Family of shooting victim considers retaliation Play Video

  August 21, 2012 6:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Hours after the murder of one of their relatives, family members of 36-year-old Deon Kinchen chased a group of men they believed to be the shooters. Kinchen was found shot dead in a parking lot at the corner of Convention Street and North 12th around 1:30am... more »

• Juvenile justice commission talks about ongoing issues Play Video

  August 14, 2012 5:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Plans are in the works to establish a network of regional directors for the La. Office of Juvenile Justice. Deputy Secretary Mary Livers told a juvenile justice commission that three directors will oversee three regions across the state. She says that will help them develop input... more »

• Changes being made to La. juvenile justice system

  August 14, 2012 10:45 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Office of Juvenile Justice is reorganizing its offices across the state into a new regional management system. Deputy Secretary Dr. Mary Livers said today the state will be divided into three regions, each headed by a regional manager. Tonight at 6, News 2's Mike... more »

• "Cajun Justice" reality show may be shortlived

  August 9, 2012 2:30 PM

  HOUMA, La. (AP) - The A&E reality show "Cajun Justice" may not be returning after the season finale airs next week. The show, which follows the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, is airing its final episode of the season Aug. 16. The show was taped when Vernon Bourgeois was sheriff.... more »

• Feds back Johnson's bid to be next chief justice

  July 27, 2012 5:45 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Justice Department is backing Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson's bid to become the next chief justice of the state's highest court. In a court filing Friday, attorneys for the department's civil rights division urge a federal judge to rule that Johnson's first few years of... more »

• Deadline moved in La. chief justice debate

  July 23, 2012 12:58 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Supreme Court is giving its justices an extra month to weigh in on a debate over naming the court's next chief justice. Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball had set a July 31 deadline for the justices to file briefs on which colleague is the "oldest... more »

• Ex-state lawmaker blasts the La. Office of Juvenile Justice Play Video

  July 11, 2012 5:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Former lawmaker Don Cravins, Sr, says there needs to be a shakeup in the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice. Cravins, who is currently the mayor of Opelousas, helped fight for a legislative package known the the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2003. A team of professionals, including... more »

• Landrieu endorses Johnson for La. chief justice

  July 11, 2012 3:19 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Sen. Mary Landrieu has waded into a debate over naming the next chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court and endorsed Justice Bernette Johnson for the job. In a statement Wednesday, the Louisiana Democrat says there is "no question" Johnson has the right to succeed Chief Justice... more »

• La. chief justice declines to discuss successor

  July 11, 2012 8:03 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball says the state's code of judicial conduct prohibits her from meeting with a group of community leaders to discuss their concerns about the court's impending debate over naming Kimball's successor. Several supporters of Justice Bernette Johnson, who sued... more »

• OJJ to hold announcement tonight on Jetson escapees

  July 9, 2012 6:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Office of Juvenile Justice announced a late-notice press conference this evening to release more details about two juveniles who escaped from the Jetson Center for Youth and were later caught. Clarence McWilliams and Demonte Washington walked out of the facility last Tuesday. They were found... more »

• Feds asked to review debate over La. chief justice

  July 9, 2012 4:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Several black Louisiana elected officials are asking the Justice Department's civil rights division to intervene in a dispute over whether state Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson is legally entitled to become the court's next chief justice. A letter sent Monday to the head of the division's voting... more »

• 3 judges recuse themselves from La. justice's suit

  July 6, 2012 5:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Three federal judges in New Orleans have recused themselves from presiding over Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Bernette Johnson's lawsuit seeking to block her colleagues from debating and voting on whether she is legally entitled to be the court's next chief justice. The case was transferred Friday to... more »

• Federal hotline set up on Arizona immigration

  June 25, 2012 5:34 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has set up a hotline for the public to report potential civil rights concerns regarding the Arizona law that requires police to check the immigration status of those they stop for other reasons. The hotline phone number is 1-855-353-1010. The email is: SB1070(at)usdoj.gov. The Supreme... more »

• AG: Bickford to plead guilty for stealing $1.8M

  June 25, 2012 10:59 AM

  AMITE - The state Attorney General's Office said a former secretary is scheduled to plead guilty today to charges she stole more than $2 million from a juvenile justice commission over nine years. A spokesperson said Brenda Bickford is scheduled to enter the plea this morning to theft and... more »

• Deadline set to weigh-in on Kimball's successor

  June 14, 2012 7:28 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court has set a deadline for her colleagues to weigh-in on who should succeed her in the post. Chief Justice Catherine "Kitty" Kimball plans to retire in January 2013. On Wednesday, Kimball ordered any justice interested "in a legal determination"... more »

• LSU women's basketball coach gives birth to girl

  March 6, 2012 12:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU women's basketball head coach Nikki Caldwell is now the proud mother of a newborn baby girl. Justice Simone Fargas was born at 5:44 a.m. Tuesday at 6 pounds, 15 ounces. The baby and Caldwell left the hospital and are now at home with Caldwell's boyfriend... more »

• Justice Department clears La. congressional remap

  August 1, 2011 7:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared Louisiana's new map for its congressional districts, which lawmakers drew in a special legislative session earlier this year. The plan shrinks the number of Louisiana congressional districts from seven to six, starting with the 2012 elections, because of the... more »

• Discrimination case against company settled

  July 22, 2011 3:06 AM

  PRAIRIEVILLE- The Justice Department has settled an employment discrimination case against a Louisiana-based company that provides craft services to industries. Brand Energy and Industrial Services of Prairieville had been accused of discriminating against non-U.S. citizens while verifying employment eligibility. The Justice Department said a work-authorized immigrant had lost his... more »

• La. House gets DOJ clearance on its remap

  June 20, 2011 6:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The redesign of the Louisiana House's 105 seats has received clearance from the U.S. Justice Department. House Speaker Jim Tucker made the announcement Monday on the House floor, to cheers. A DOJ letter confirms that the department "does not interpose any objection." Federal approval came... more »

• Audit targets juvenile justice contracts

  February 11, 2011 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A recent state performance audit shows expensive problems within the Office of Juvenile Justice. Most of the issues deal with a lack of scrutiny for contracts, which amount to 40 percent of the office budget or $62 million dollars. Auditors say there is a good review... more »

• Pew Center to research, reform Louisiana prison system

  January 20, 2011 11:34 AM

  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s criminal justice system is going to get a thorough examination by the Pew Center to help make it work more efficiently, and keep prisoners from re-offending. Governor Bobby Jindal announced today that the Pew Center will research the state’s prisons and sentencing policies, and then help... more »

• Former federal prosecutor: Edwards' release "part of the system"

  January 13, 2011 10:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Many have spoken in support of former Governor Edwin Edwards on the day of his release from federal prison. But for every supporter, there are people who say Edwards got what he deserved. The man who tried to prosecute Edwards twice tells News 2 the justice system... more »

• Report: La. prison unsafe for juvenile offenders

  November 10, 2010 10:01 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A juvenile justice advocacy group says conditions at a juvenile prison in Monroe continue to be unfit for young offenders. The Times-Picayune says the report claims the offenders at the Swanson Center for Youth face almost daily fights among inmates, excessive use of force by staff and... more »

• Security zone put in place around Deepwater Horizon

  October 27, 2010 3:35 PM

  Federal authorities have ordered a security zone be created around the Deepwater Horizon’s wreckage in order to protect any evidence that may still be near the blown well. The zone extends 750 feet in all directions from the wreckage site and its debris field, and companies that could enter the... more »

• Friends, family react to Jan Waters' guilty plea

  October 25, 2010 9:43 PM

  Friends and family of Alan Waters said justice has been served after six years of waiting. Alan was killed in his home in May 2004 and his ex-wife, Jan Waters, was arrested for his murder weeks later. After years of delays, Jan's trial ended before it started with a... more »

• Entergy expects growth, says they're complying with probe

  October 15, 2010 11:41 AM

  Power provider Entergy Corp., which is currently under federal investigation for its business practices, is expecting double-digit earnings growth. Entergy announced Friday that they expect third-quarter earnings per share to grow 13 percent from the same period last year, which beats Wall Street's expectations. Entergy attributed the forecast to a... more »

• Justice Department sues three major credit card companies

  October 4, 2010 2:33 PM

  The Justice Department is suing credit card companies American Express, Visa and MasterCard for anticompetitive practices. The lawsuit says the card companies are impeding merchants from promoting the use of competing credit or charge cards with lower acceptance fees. In papers filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the department and... more »

• Authorities use portable jail in Plaquemines Parish

  August 5, 2010 6:53 PM

  Justice in Plaquemines Parish is turning portable. News 2’s Stephanie Ryan got answers on why the oil spill forced the law to improvise. more »

• 75 grads of training program get oil spill jobs

  May 20, 2010 5:46 AM

  Seventy-five graduates of a training program run by environmental justice centers in New Orleans and Atlanta are now working on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup. Dillard University's Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and Clark Atlanta University's Environmental Justice Resource Center have given environmental clean-up courses for 15... more »

• Justice Department heads to Louisiana

  April 30, 2010 2:09 PM

  Another federal agency is making its way to the Louisiana gulf coast. Attorney General Eric Holder has announced says he's sending a team of Justice Department lawyers to New Orleans to meet with the U.S. attorney and response teams. Holder says the department will enforce laws protecting those... more »

• Sotomayor To Hear First Case As Justice

  September 8, 2009 9:40 PM

  Justice Sonia Sotomayor will join the US Supreme Court tomorrow to hear a case about campaign finance law. Sotomayor took the oath again today in front of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. It was part of a ceremony where the court formally welcomed her as the... more »