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• Judge delays ex-BP engineer's trial

  May 17, 2013 3:48 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 its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Kurt Mix's trial was scheduled to start June 10, but U.S. District Judge Stanwood... more »

• Ex-BP executive's trial delayed

  May 9, 2013 11:32 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has agreed to postpone the trial of a former BP executive. David Rainey is charged with concealing information from Congress about the amount of oil that was leaking from the company's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Rainey's trial was scheduled... more »

• Justices dismiss La. case over trial delays

  April 29, 2013 10:16 AM

  WASHINGTON - A sharply divided Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal from a Louisiana man who claimed that most of a seven-year delay between his arrest and murder trial was the result of a breakdown in the state's system for paying defense lawyers in death penalty cases. The court's conservative... more »

• Jury reaches verdict in Louding murder trial

  April 26, 2013 3:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A jury found accused hitman "Marlo" Mike Louding guilty of first-degree murder charges today. Louding had been accused of killing Terry Boyd back in October 2009. He faces five additional murder charges for a series of killings over a 14-month period. Investigators said Louding confessed... more »

• Jury receives case in Louding murder trial

  April 26, 2013 12:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorneys for the prosecution and defense wrapped up their closing arguments a short time ago in the murder trial of "Marlo" Mike Louding. Judge Trudy White issued jury instructions afterward and presented the case to them for deliberation. Louding is on trial on suspicion of... more »

• Prosecutors, defense rest in Louding murder trial Play Video

  April 25, 2013 5:07 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Prosecutors and defense attorneys rested their respective cases this afternoon in the murder trial of "Marlo" Mike Louding, who's accused of killing six people. Louding is accused of killing Terry Boyd in October 2009 at the direction of Torrence Hatch, also known as the rapper Lil... 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 »

• Prosecutors use Marlo Mike's words against him Play Video

  April 23, 2013 6:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE - In the second day of testimony for "Marlo" Michael Louding's murder trial, prosecutors played multiple taped interviews from 2010 in Louding explained his involvement in up to six murders. Louding is on trial for the killing of Terry Boyd in October 2009, but he's implicated in... more »

• Prosecutors play taped confession in murder trial

  April 23, 2013 11:45 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Prosecutors at the murder trial of "Marlo" Mike Louding played two different taped confessions today which he made to police investigators. Louding is on trial for the murder of Terry Boyd, whom he's accused of killing. He's implicated in five other murders prosecutors say are tied... more »

• Testimony ends for 1st phase of BP spill trial

  April 17, 2013 6:00 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Testimony has concluded for the first phase of a high-stakes trial over the deadly 2010 rig explosion that led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier didn't rule Wednesday on any claims in the litigation after BP PLC wrapped up its defense.... more »

• US tourist faces trial in Turkey

  April 17, 2013 9:00 AM

  ANKARA, Turkey- An American tourist who collected stones during a beach holiday with his wife was briefly detained in Turkey and faces trial for attempting to smuggle historical artifacts. Jason Dement told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he was taken into custody by security officials at an airport near... more »

• Michael Louding's trial set to begin this month Play Video

  April 9, 2013 3:57 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The man accused of killing at least six people in Baton Rouge is scheduled to go to trial for one of the killings in nine days. Michael Louding, also known as "Marlo Mike," is charged with five counts of first degree murder and one count of... more »

• Man accused of stabbing, feticide due in court

  April 8, 2013 10:37 AM

  LIVINGSTON - A man accused of stabbing his wife and cutting their unborn child out of her stomach is scheduled to be in court this afternoon. Jeffrey Reynolds is due in court around 1 p.m. in Livingston Parish for a hearing over pre-trial motions. Reynolds faces feticide and... more »

• BP calls 1st witness at trial over Gulf spill

  April 8, 2013 10:20 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP's first witness at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster says the company safely drilled its Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico before an April 2010 blowout triggered the nation's worst offshore oil spill. Retired LSU petroleum engineering professor Adam "Ted" Bourgoyne Jr. is... more »

• Trial date reset in fatal buttocks injection case

  April 8, 2013 8:52 AM

  JACKSON, Miss.- A suspect charged in Mississippi with the cosmetic buttocks injection blamed in the death of a Georgia woman has received a new trial date. The Hinds County Circuit Court administrator's office says the trial of Tracey Lynn Garner, also known as Morris Garner, is set now tentatively set... more »

• BP to call 1st witness at trial over Gulf spill

  April 8, 2013 6:34 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP is scheduled to call its first witness Monday at a trial designed to determine causes of its April 2010 well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico and assign fault to the companies involved in the deadly disaster. Halliburton, BP PLC's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon... more »

• U.S. Marshals join hunt for Lafayette fugitive

  April 5, 2013 12:57 PM

  LAFAYETTE - U.S. Marshals are joining the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office in the hunt for a man who walked away from his vehicular homicide trial last week. Wade Lohse, 43, is charged with vehicular homicide, felon in possession of a firearm and burglary. His trial was underway March... more »

• Hearing continued in vehicular homicide case

  April 4, 2013 10:28 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorneys continued a hearing today for the man accused of killing a cyclist last year while driving drunk. Police said 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... more »

• BP plans to begin its trial defense Monday

  April 3, 2013 2:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - BP plans to call its first witness Monday at a trial designed to identify causes of its April 2010 well blowout and assign fault to the companies involved in the deadly disaster. A federal judge heard testimony Wednesday by two expert witnesses for Halliburton, BP's cement contractor... more »

• Halliburton worker testifies at Gulf spill trial

  April 2, 2013 10:20 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A man who worked for BP's cement contractor on the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says he didn't believe the oil giant's employees were risking workers' safety when they didn't follow his recommendations. Halliburton employee Jesse Gagliano began testifying Tuesday at... 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 »

• Holmes trial delayed because of death penalty

  April 1, 2013 12:37 PM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Now that prosecutors have decided to seek the death penalty against James Holmes, the trial of the man accused in last year's movie theater attack in Colorado will be delayed -- at least until February. And the judge in the case acknowledged today that even that much... more »

• Pistorius allowed to leave SAfrica with conditions

  March 28, 2013 10:10 AM

  PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) - International athletics body the IAAF says Oscar Pistorius would be allowed to run at this year's world championships if he qualifies after the double-amputee runner was cleared by a court to leave South Africa to compete in track meets. The Olympic athlete had appealed against... more »

• Trial date set in CarQuest murder case

  March 28, 2013 8:17 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state judge has set an Oct. 28 trial date for a man accused of fatally shooting two employees of a CarQuest Auto Parts store in March 2011. The District Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty against 23-year-old Lee Turner Jr., who was hired by... more »

• Dominique Smith trial goes to jury

  March 25, 2013 12:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - After about two hours hearing closing arguments from the defense and prosecution, a jury of nine women and three men will decide the fate of Dominique Smith. During closing arguments prosecutor Darwin Miller methodically went through the timeline of events refreshing its case to the jury... more »

• Judge: Charles Scott not guilty Play Video

  March 20, 2013 7:32 PM

  GONZALES- A judge ruled former LSU running back Charles Scott not guilty of sexual battery. The judge said testimony from the prosecution's witnesses including the woman, who accused Scott of rape, was inconsistent and contradictory to support a guilty verdict. The judge also stated the evidence did not... more »

• Judge to rule in Scott trial tonight Play Video

  March 20, 2013 6:20 PM

  GONZALES - Closing arguments have ended and a judge said she would render a decision before the night is up in the sexual battery trial of former LSU running back Charles Scott. Prosecutors rested their case this evening after two days of testimony, including from the alleged victim who... more »

• Plantiffs rest in trial over 2010 Gulf oil spill

  March 20, 2013 2:17 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Plaintiffs' attorneys have rested their case at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A federal judge heard testimony by more than a dozen witnesses called by the Justice Department and private attorneys for Gulf Coast... more »

• Scott not expected to testify in sexual battery trial

  March 20, 2013 11:27 AM

  GONZALES - Former LSU running back Charles Scott is not expected to take the stand as testimony continued today in his sexual battery trial in Ascension Parish, according to his attorney. A detective testified about her findings in the case, and Scott's behavior during interviews. This came a... more »

• Rig owner's CEO testifies at Gulf oil spill trial

  March 19, 2013 9:19 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The chief executive of the company that owned the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says its employees "should have done more" to avert the disaster that killed 11 workers and caused the nation's worst offshore oil spill. Transocean president and CEO... more »

• Battery trial against former LSU player begins today Play Video

  March 19, 2013 8:48 AM

  GONZALES - The sexual battery trial of former LSU running back Charles Scott is scheduled to begin Tuesday in state district court in Ascension Parish. Police arrested Scott in November 2011 after allegedly raping an 18-year-old woman at his Prairieville home. The 24-year-old was later arraigned on the lesser... more »

• Defense starts for companies in Gulf spill trial

  March 18, 2013 10:16 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The owner of the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 has started to present its defense at a trial designed to determine the causes of the deadly disaster and assign fault to the companies involved. Transocean Ltd. called its first witness Monday... more »

• Trial to begin in Ohio school football rape case

  March 13, 2013 10:45 AM

  STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - Television news trucks are lined up outside an eastern Ohio courthouse for the trial of two high school football players charged with raping a 16-year-old West Virginia girl. The case set to be heard in juvenile court Wednesday has brought unprecedented attention to the small city of... more »

• Halliburton exec testifies at Gulf spill trial

  March 11, 2013 3:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - An executive from the company that was BP's cement contractor on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig says he learned of some "irregularities" in tests that the contractor's employees performed after the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Timothy Probert, a Halliburton president who served... more »

• No trial delay in child's slaying

  March 11, 2013 7:44 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE - A state district judge has denied a motion to delay the trial of a 19-year-old accused of first-degree murder in the death of a young boy in 2010. The trial for Trevor Reese is scheduled to begin March 18. Reese is charged in the death... more »

• Ex-BP rig supervisor testifies at Gulf spill trial

  March 6, 2013 10:13 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A retired BP employee who supervised drilling operations on the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico says he never felt pressure to sacrifice safety to save money, even though the project was behind schedule and over budget. Former BP PLC well site leader Ronnie Sepulvado... more »

• BP exec back on the stand in oil spill trial

  February 28, 2013 10:26 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A BP executive who led the company's internal probe of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico says his investigators didn't explore whether top BP managers had a role in causing the disaster because they didn't have access to employees and records from contractors. Mark... more »

• Video: Maine Zumba teacher got cash for sex

  February 28, 2013 10:21 AM

  ALFRED, Maine - A jury hearing the case of a Maine businessman accused of helping a Zumba instructor engage in prostitution has watched a video showing money changing hands after a sexual encounter. Mark Strong Sr. faces 13 counts related to promotion of prostitution. Prosecutors say he made screen-grab snapshots... more »

• Judge watches videotape of ex-BP CEO's testimony

  February 27, 2013 10:42 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The judge in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill trial has watched videotaped testimony from former BP chief executive Tony Hayward. Hayward was head of the London-based oil giant in 2010 when there was an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Eleven workers were killed and... more »

• BP executive testifies at Gulf oil spill trial

  February 26, 2013 6:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The first BP executive to testify at a trial spawned by the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has taken the stand. Lamar McKay was president of BP America at the time of the disaster. He is the trial's second witness and is expected... more »

• Expert testifies BP cuts led to Gulf oil disaster

  February 26, 2013 10:30 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The first testimony in the civil trial over the Gulf oil spill came from an expert who said he found evidence the company's penchant for cutting costs led to the disaster. Robert Bea, a University of California Berkeley engineering professor, said BP PLC did not put... more »

• Trial set to open for Gulf oil spill litigation

  February 25, 2013 7:17 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The high-stakes Gulf oil spill trial has started with a lawyer criticizing BP by saying company executives put enormous pressure on drilling managers to cut costs and rush the job. Jim Roy is an attorney for individuals and businesses affected by the spill. He says BP repeatedly... 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 »

• Wright found incompetent to stand trial

  February 19, 2013 2:37 PM

  THIBODAUX - A judge in Lafourche Parish has ruled Jeremiah Wright is not fit to stand trial for killing his son. Wright is accused of beheading his disabled seven-year-old son Jori Lirette, and leaving his head in the yard where Wright lived with the boy's mother. Judge John... more »

• Peterson case returns with hearing for new trial

  February 19, 2013 7:10 AM

  CHICAGO - A spat between Drew Peterson's former lead trial attorney and current lawyers will appear in court. A judge will hear arguments Tuesday that Peterson deserves a new trial on grounds that former lead trial attorney Joel Brodsky botched last year's trial. Brodsky left the defense team in November... more »

• Ex-N.O. cop to seek venue change for trial

  February 6, 2013 2:54 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- A former New Orleans police officer charged with writing a false report on a deadly shooting in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is planning to ask if his retrial can be moved from New Orleans. The retrial of Travis McCabe stems from the deadly shooting of Henry... more »

• Ariz. woman charged in lover's slaying testifies

  February 5, 2013 4:28 AM

  PHOENIX - A woman charged in the stabbing and shooting death of her lover is set to continue testifying at her Phoenix murder trial. Jodi Arias first took the stand Monday in a case that has been peppered with lurid stories of sex, lies, betrayal and violence. The 32-year-old could... 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 »

• Maine Zumba trial on hold pending appeal decision

  January 29, 2013 3:58 PM

  ALFRED, Maine - Maine's highest court has agreed to an expedited hearing focusing on 46 counts that were dropped against a key figure in a prostitution scandal centered at a Zumba dance studio in the seaside town of Kennebunk. A judge on Tuesday delayed the trial of Mark Strong Sr.... 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 »

• Ohio judge weighs whether to keep rape trial open

  January 25, 2013 2:43 AM

  STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - An Ohio judge plans to decide whether the trial of two high school football players charged with raping a 16-year-old girl should be closed to the public. The girl and her parents, one defendant and state Attorney General Mike DeWine all want next month's trial closed, either... 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 »

• Arraignment delayed for ex-New Orleans mayor Nagin

  January 23, 2013 3:56 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A judge has postponed the arraignment of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who is charged with taking contractors' bribes in exchange for helping them secure lucrative work for the city. Nagin, who gained national prominence leading battered New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was scheduled... more »

• Jury selection starts in Zumba prostitution case

  January 22, 2013 4:11 PM

  ALFRED, Maine - The process of finding a jury for the trial of the business partner of a Zumba instructor charged with using her Maine studio as a prostitution front has broken for the day. About a third of 140 potential jurors called for the trial of Mark Strong Sr.... 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 »

• High court may block Stanford investor lawsuits

  January 18, 2013 9:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will hear an appeal that seeks to shut down class-action lawsuits from investors who lost billions in a massive Ponzi scheme orchestrated by convicted former Texas tycoon R. Allen Stanford. The justices on Friday said they would review appeals court rulings allowing the suits to... more »

• Judge in Colo. shooting orders reporter to appear

  January 18, 2013 4:33 PM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. - The judge handling the case of the Colorado theater shooting suspect is requiring a Fox News reporter to appear in court to say who gave her information that defense attorneys say was subject to a gag order. A July 25 article by Jana Winter on FoxNews.com cited... more »

• Inmate's trial scheduled May 20 in prison killing

  January 18, 2013 7:16 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE - Trial for the last of the five Angola inmates accused of killing a penitentiary security officer in 1999 has been set for the week of May 20. The new attorneys for inmate Barry Edge last month won a delay of the trial that was scheduled to begin... 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 »

• Prosecutor defends actions in Swartz hacker case

  January 17, 2013 3:28 PM

  BOSTON - A federal prosecutor who has been sharply criticized following the suicide of an Internet freedom activist appeared to fight back tears as she defended her office's handling of a hacking case against him. U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz says Aaron Swartz's family has suffered a "horrible tragedy" and that... 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 »

• 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 »

• Judge hears arguments on Sandusky trial fairness

  January 10, 2013 10:48 AM

  BELLEFONTE, Pa. - A judge has heard arguments from Jerry Sandusky's attorneys about the fairness of his trial but did not issue a ruling. The proceeding Thursday in central Pennsylvania related to Sandusky's claim that his lawyers didn't have enough time to prepare for his molestation trial. Sandusky's post-sentencing motions... 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 »

• Judge delays Ohio school shooting trial

  January 7, 2013 10:01 AM

  CHARDON, Ohio - A judge in Ohio has indefinitely delayed the murder trial of an 18-year-old charged in the shooting death of three high school classmates. Judge David Fuhry in Chardon, east of Cleveland, said Monday that he will hold a hearing in late January to discuss a new... more »

• DA to go after accused killer with death penalty

  January 3, 2013 4:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The district attorney plans to seek the death penalty in the case against Devon Terrell Livous. Livous is accused of killing Raolatu Alowonle and shooting her 11-year-old niece in the leg on Ryder Drive in July. Prosecutors allege that Livous knew opening fire on the two women... more »

• Judge: No TV broadcast of Guantanamo 9/11 trial

  January 3, 2013 3:03 PM

  SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A military judge has denied a request to allow television broadcast coverage of the Guantanamo Bay war crimes tribunal for five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks. Defense lawyers requested TV coverage of proceedings at the U.S. base in Cuba. But the Defense Department... more »

• Trial in child's death delayed

  December 31, 2012 8:05 AM

  THIBODAUX - A hearing to determine the competency of a man accused of beheading his son has been delayed for a third time. 31-year-old Jeremiah Wright, of Thibodaux, must be deemed mentally competent before he can stand trial on charges he decapitated 7-year-old Jori Lirette last year. Prosecutors... more »

• Portion of teacher reforms ruled unconstitutional Play Video

  December 18, 2012 2:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A judge upheld most of Gov. Jindal's education reforms targeting teachers in Louisiana today. The judge upheld three sections of Act 1, also called the ' Talent Act ', which make it tougher for teachers to get tenure and did away with teacher pay scales, instead... more »

• Ex-ATC official's trial postponed

  December 18, 2012 10:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The criminal trial of Murphy J. Painter, former commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, has been postponed until April 22. The Advocate reports Painter's trial was scheduled to begin Monday, but U.S. District Judge James J. Brady granted a request for a delay.... more »

• Mom ruled incompetent for trial in child killings

  December 13, 2012 2:30 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- A mother accused of killing her 3-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter was ruled incompetent to stand trial Thursday by a New Orleans magistrate judge. 23-year-old Chelsea Thornton will remain in jail under medical treatment until space becomes available at a state mental hospital in East Feliciana Parish. Thornton... 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 »

• 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 »

• BRPD: DNA analysis cracks 1984 cold case Play Video

  December 3, 2012 3:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police in Baton Rouge announced two arrests in connection with a 1984 murder, after they said a cold case review and DNA analysis led them to the suspects. Police arrested Ronald Dunnagan, 64, of Bossier City and Leila Mulla, 57, of Astoria, N.Y. in connection with... more »

• Testimony in voucher lawsuit continues Thursday

  November 29, 2012 10:26 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Testimony is continuing for a second day in a Baton Rouge trial over whether Gov. Bobby Jindal's statewide voucher program is unconstitutional. Judge Tim Kelley said he expects to rule this week on the lawsuit from teacher unions and school boards seeking to shut down the vouchers... 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 »

• Woman gets 17 years in stabbing death

  November 14, 2012 4:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A 29-year-old Baton Rouge woman has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for the stabbing death of her boyfriend after an argument at their home. State District Judge Bonnie Jackson sentenced Katina Carter, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter, in the July 15th death of 26-year-old Ladrian... more »

• Hearing airs sex crimes case against US general

  November 5, 2012 10:53 AM

  FORT BRAGG, N.C. - U.S. Army prosecutors are charging a general with sex crimes against five women, including four military subordinates and a civilian. The first details of the charges filed in September emerged at a military justice hearing Monday for Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair at Fort Bragg in North... more »

• Landfill owner: 2nd prosecutor made online posts

  November 2, 2012 12:43 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A south Louisiana landfill owner charges in a lawsuit that a second federal prosecutor defamed him in anonymous online posts. Fred Heebe of New Orleans makes the allegation against Assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Maselli Mann in a lawsuit filed Friday in state court. Sal Perricone (PEHR' ih... more »

• Landfill owner's defamation suit gets new judge

  October 31, 2012 12:41 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal judge has disqualified herself from presiding over a landfill owner's defamation lawsuit against a former federal prosecutor who resigned after acknowledging he anonymously posted comments on a newspaper's website about judges, politicians and cases. U.S. District Judge Helen Berrigan recused herself from the case Tuesday... more »

• Judge delays start of BP spill trial

  October 26, 2012 10:47 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- A federal judge - citing the distractions of Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl - has postponed the trial designed to identify causes of the BP well blowout that spawned the massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico. The trial had been scheduled to start Jan. 14, but U.S. District... more »

• La. AG seeks trial for state claims over BP spill

  October 25, 2012 4:02 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell's office is asking a federal judge to set a trial date for some of the state's economic loss claims against BP PLC stemming from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a court filing Wednesday, Caldwell's office claims... more »

• Guilty pleas entered in killing

  October 23, 2012 11:30 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Two people entered guilty pleas today in Baton Rouge in connection with the killing of a man who was later found dumped in Livingston Parish a year ago. Jean Paul Creppel, 34, and Danielle Palermo, 26, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery charges in the... more »

• D.A. leaves case against mayor

  October 18, 2012 9:41 PM

  INDEPENDENCE- The district attorney in Tangipahoa Parish has recused his office from prosecuting Mayor Michael Ragusa. Ragusa faces charges of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said his office is connected to Ragusa through open cases, and shouldn't prosecute the case. ... more »

• 9/11 'mastermind' in camouflage for Gitmo court

  October 17, 2012 10:26 AM

  GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - With a judge's permission, the self-styled mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks is wearing camouflage at his Guantanamo military tribunal. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed sported a camouflage vest over a white tunic Wednesday as he sat at his defense table in a heavily guarded courtroom... more »

• Sentencing delayed for man linked to Nagin probe

  October 16, 2012 2:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A judge has postponed a sentencing hearing for a Louisiana businessman linked to a federal probe of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. Frank Fradella pleaded guilty in June to making a $50,000 payoff to a former city official in exchange for favorable treatment for his business... more »

• Arraignment set in alleged embezzlement plot

  October 15, 2012 3:01 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A landfill executive and his brother-in-law are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on new charges stemming from an alleged plot to embezzle nearly $1 million from a New Orleans-based construction management company. Dominick Fazzio, chief financial officer of the River Birch landfill, and Mark Titus were indicted... 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 »

• 9/11 kin watch Gitmo hearings from Army bases

  October 15, 2012 10:45 AM

  NEW YORK - Military installations in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland are welcoming families of 9/11 victims this week to watch pretrial hearings in Cuba for five men charged in the terrorist attacks. Seven family members were viewing the Guantanamo proceedings Monday via closed-circuit television at Fort Hamilton,... more »

• Bell given life for killing former chief's brother-in-law

  October 12, 2012 12:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A judge sentenced Leandre Bell, the man convicted of killing the brother-in-law of Baton Rouge's former police chief, to life in prison today. Bell, was convicted of two counts of murder and a host of other charges, including armed robbery. Leandre Bell was formally sentenced... more »