Michael Carroll News
Louisiana GOP pushing for veto-override session
Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has now acted on all the legislation that reached his desk this year, but his vetoes of 28 bills are pushing Republicans to consider a veto-override session in the coming weeks.
Personal injury attorney pleads guilty in New Orleans staged-accident probe
The only attorney who has so far been charged in an elaborate staged-accident scheme to defraud insurers and trucking companies has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Lawsuit seeks to block St. Tammany Parish vote on riverboat gambling casino
A Slidell pastor is suing the St. Tammany Parish Council over its decision to ask parish voters whether a riverboat gambling enterprise should be allowed at a site along Lake Pontchartrain.
Civil rights attorney files federal suit against Baton Rouge, alleging retaliation
A professor who represented a Louisiana family in a civil lawsuit against the Baton Rouge Police Department has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, alleging that it retaliated against him for releasing police body-camera footage to the media.
Gulf boat operators allege high-tech fisheries monitoring violates their constitutional rights
Charter vessel operators in the Gulf of Mexico are suing federal regulators for allegedly violating their constitutional rights through a fisheries-monitoring program that mandates 24-hour electronic surveillance of the boats.
Neighborhood security districts seen as lacking accountability in New Orleans bias lawsuit
A federal lawsuit filed by a Black New Orleans resident who accuses police officers of making an illegal, racially motivated traffic stop last year is raising new concerns about quasi-public neighborhood security districts formed under state law.
Louisiana gun-rights group urges override of veto on permitless-carry bill
A Louisiana gun-rights organization is urging the state legislature to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of a bill that would have allowed residents to carry concealed firearms without paying to obtain a permit.
Louisiana governor signs higher-education reform bills on sex abuse reporting
Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed a series of bills that aim to make higher education officials more accountable for reporting sexual harassment and abuse in the wake of systemic reporting failures at Louisiana State University.
Louisiana oil industry doesn't see immediate benefits from judge's oil lease ruling
A federal court judge’s opinion blocking the Biden administration’s oil lease “pause” on public lands and the continental shelf won’t have any dramatic initial effects on Louisiana’s energy industry, according to those following the litigation.
New Louisiana law will expand ability of child abuse victims to file civil lawsuits
Child abuse victims who were previously barred from filing civil litigation due to statutes of limitation (SOL) will soon have a three-year window to file their complaints, as a result of legislation signed by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Tanker collision with oil platform off Louisiana prompts legal battles
The Louisiana Oil & Gas Association has filed a brief in federal court highlighting the industry’s concerns about a recent ship accident at the mouth of the Mississippi River that caused extensive damage to an offshore oil platform.
Federal judge issues injunction against Biden administration's oil lease ban
Coming on the heels of oral arguments last week, a federal judge has issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Biden administration’s moratorium on oil leases on public lands, including offshore lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico.
Federal probe of staged big-rig accidents in New Orleans nets five more guilty pleas
Five more defendants accused of conspiring to stage big-rig truck accidents in a wide-ranging insurance fraud scheme have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans reported.
Louisiana hotel owner sues InterContinental Hotels, alleging abuses against franchisees
A Louisiana hotelier has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) that alleges the company and its franchising unit are illegally squeezing franchisees through abusive and exploitative tactics.
Bill to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession expected to pass Louisiana legislature
A bill that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana is scheduled for final passage in the Louisiana Senate on Sunday – a turn of events that supporters see as a sign of growing acceptance of marijuana use in the state.
Louisiana agricultural workers sue paraquat makers, allege Parkinson's disease link
Two Louisiana residents who each spent decades in agricultural jobs have filed federal lawsuits against manufacturers of the herbicide paraquat, alleging that their exposure to the chemical led to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
LMU not inclined to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students, despite faculty's urging
Louisiana State University officials say LMU won’t be able to require that students attending class in the fall be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, despite a Faculty Senate resolution calling for mandatory immunizations
Federal judge narrows focus of lawsuit to overturn offshore oil and gas leasing moratorium
Environmental groups have been denied permission to intervene in a multi-state lawsuit aimed at overturning a moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and coastal waters imposed by the Biden administration.
Louisiana launches bipartisan push to modify Biden administration oil lease moratorium
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Gov. John Bel Edwards are making a bipartisan push to convince the Biden administration to rethink its moratorium on new oil and gas leases.
Bill to set up framework to tax recreational marijuana sales in Louisiana dies in House
Efforts to hash out a plan to legalize recreational marijuana in Louisiana came to an end this month as a tax framework bill for cannabis died on a 47-48 vote in the state’s House of Representatives.