Michael Carroll News
Louisiana shipbuilder to pay $1 million settlement over charges of hiring ineligible workers
A Louisiana shipyard company has agreed to pay more than $1 million to settle a legal dispute in the Eastern District of Louisiana brought by federal prosecutors who alleged the firm used ineligible workers to build fast-response cutters (FRC) for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Louisiana sues Biden administration over new ban on offshore oil and gas leasing
Louisiana and four other states have filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration over the offshore oil and gas leasing ban announced in its waning days, arguing that only Congress has the power to “regulate property.”
Louisiana set to sue Biden administration over new offshore drilling ban in eastern Gulf of Mexico
Louisiana officials are poised to file another federal lawsuit against the Biden administration’s energy policies, the latest salvo directed against the president’s Jan. 6 withdrawal of the eastern Gulf of Mexico from future oil and gas leasing.
Louisiana high court sides with state agencies, backs removal of homeless encampments
In a split decision, the Louisiana Supreme Court has dissolved a lower court’s restraining order that limited state agencies’ ability to clear homeless encampments in public areas of New Orleans.
Louisiana real estate associations sued in federal court over alleged anticompetitive practices
Two Louisiana real estate agents and two brokers have filed a federal lawsuit against several real estate associations, including the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Louisiana Realtors Association (LRA), accusing them of engaging in anti-competitive practices.
Tort-reform advocates criticize state Supreme Court's reversal in personal-injury damages case
Tort-reform advocates are expressing dismay at the Louisiana Supreme Court’s decision last month to reinstate most of an eight-figure jury award in a personal-injury case, reversing an earlier opinion that slashed the damages amount by more than half.
Louisiana high court gives librarian avenue to advance defamation lawsuit
A Louisiana appeals court will have to consider whether or not a librarian’s defamation lawsuit against a group advocating for government transparency has merit, the state Supreme Court decided last month.
Louisiana attorney general urges most school districts to display Ten Commandments in classrooms using her guidance
State Attorney General Liz Murrill on Friday offered public school districts in the state four sample Ten Commandments displays to comply with the provisions of House Bill 71, which civil rights groups have challenged in federal courts as unconstitutional.
State attorney general, ACLU of Louisiana duel over enforcement of Ten Commandments law
Louisiana’s attorney general and the ACLU of Louisiana are giving school districts across the state contradictory guidance on how to comply with the new Ten Commandments law in the wake of an ongoing federal lawsuit.
Federal government sues Louisiana over 'systemic' prisoner-release delays
The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Louisiana and its corrections agency, alleging that the state has systematically violated inmates’ 14th Amendment rights by keeping many of them behind bars beyond their release dates.
Law firm that represents Sean 'Diddy' Combs' accusers sued by Louisiana clients
A Houston attorney representing plaintiffs who allege hip-hop entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs engaged in sexual abuse and exploitation now faces a pair of lawsuits in Louisiana accusing the lawyer of negligently or fraudulently withholding settlement funds.
2 New Orleans law firms charged with insurance fraud, staging of vehicle accidents
Two New Orleans law firms and eight individuals have been charged for their involvement in a wide-ranging conspiracy to stage vehicle accidents and commit insurance fraud in a new federal indictment unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Attorney: New Louisiana law unconstitutionally muzzles newsgathering, police coverage
Reporters are now more hesitant to cover crime stories in certain situations after the enactment of a Louisiana law allowing police officers to bar the public from getting within 25 feet of them, attorneys for news organizations argued in federal court last week.
Meta plans for massive AI data center in northeast Louisiana pose ratepayer risks, critics say
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, will construct a $10 billion artificial intelligence data center in northeast Louisiana, promising technological innovation and jobs, but critics question the project’s economic benefits and future impact on taxpayers.
Louisiana civil justice system ranked 10th worst in nation in new Judicial Hellholes report
A Louisiana tort-reform group is lamenting the state being designated the 10th worst civil justice system in the nation in a new report published by American Tort Reform Federation.
Judge grants injunction against state agencies' sweeps of New Orleans homeless encampments
An Orleans Parish judge has issued a preliminary injunction that prevents state agencies from removing homeless encampments in downtown New Orleans without respecting the constitutional rights of those affected.
Judge dismisses Louisiana senators' lawsuit aimed at delaying ethics administrator hiring
A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two state senators that sought to delay the hiring of a new Board of Ethics administrator, adding another chapter to a simmering dispute between the Louisiana Legislature and the board.
Louisiana attorney general urges federal judge to end consent decree on New Orleans Police Department
State Attorney General Liz Murrill has urged a federal court to lift a 12-year-old consent decree governing the operation of the New Orleans Police Department, saying that the decree is siphoning more than $1.4 million from city coffers annually.
Special session produces bills to flatten income tax, boost Louisiana sales tax
Louisiana lawmakers adjourned their special session on Friday and sent the governor measures to reduce the corporate income tax, flatten personal income taxes and bump up the state sales tax, but some critics are not sold on the plan.
State court rejects Baton Rouge high school's request for injunction against athletic association's penalties
A Baton Rouge judge has affirmed the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s decision to require a local high school to forfeit eight wins during the 2024 football season, leaving University Laboratory School (ULS) without a playoff spot.