Michael Carroll News
Louisiana AG wins injunction against Biden executive order on social carbon costs
The Louisiana attorney general scored a win against the Biden administration last week when a federal judge agreed that a presidential executive order attempting to monetize social carbon costs in federal actions was executive overreach.
Lawsuits alleging breast cancer drug causes tear duct injuries to be heard in Louisiana
Civil lawsuits that allege the breast cancer drug Taxotere can cause permanent injuries to tear ducts will be consolidated in the Eastern District of Louisiana, a federal judicial panel has ordered.
Louisiana medical students lose bid to overturn consent decree on COVID-19 vaccinations
A federal judge in Louisiana has ruled against three medical students who alleged that a Monroe college violated a previous consent decree allowing the students to continue their studies while unvaccinated for COVID-19.
Fossil fuels seen as essential even as Louisiana looks to deal with climate change
Though a task force has just released a plan to help Louisiana reach its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the state’s energy sector is warning that oil and gas will remain an essential commodity for decades to come.
Eviction agreement provision in Baton Rouge firm's leases raises legal concerns
A Baton Rouge firm that leases apartments and condos has begun offering some tenants an option to pay lower rents in exchange for agreeing to be evicted in the event of a future eviction moratorium, such as the one put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge's lawsuit challenging 19th District jurists over seniority issues is dismissed
A Louisiana judge’s lawsuit against his 19th Judicial District colleagues over seniority rules and civil court assignments was dismissed last week after a special judge concluded judges are immune from being sued over such administrative actions.
State's high court allows Baton Rouge judge to retain post despite age prohibition
A Baton Rouge City Court judge will be able to retain her position despite the state constitution’s prohibition against judges taking office when they reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 prior to the start of their terms, the state Supreme Court said.
Louisiana officials defend multimillion-dollar price tag of fighting prisoner class action
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections is defending the estimated $2.9 million the state is spending to defend against a lawsuit alleging that confinement policies at a prison in Claiborne Parish violate the Eighth Amendment.
Lawsuit challenging Edwards' decision to cut off COVID-19 jobless benefits dismissed
A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged Gov. John Bel Edwards’ decision last year to pull out of a federal program to provide Louisiana residents with supplemental unemployment benefits during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Federal housing bias lawsuit against Slidell apartment complex settled for $35,000
A federal lawsuit alleging that an apartment complex manager in Slidell engaged in racial discrimination against potential renters has been settled for $35,000, according to the nonprofit Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center.
Judge OKs Cox's request to seek punitive damages against tanker operating company
A federal judge last week granted a Texas-based oil company’s request to seek punitive damages in litigation against the owners and managers of a tanker ship that struck the company’s oil platform located off of Louisiana’s coastline.
Louisiana business groups laud rejection of 'one-size-fits-all' workplace vaccine mandate
Louisiana business groups expressed relief after last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking the Biden administration from implementing its rule requiring 84 million workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine or face a testing regimen.
Baton Rouge judge alleges possible misuse of public funds by lawsuit defendants
A Baton Rouge judge who is suing his 19th Judicial District colleagues over their decision not to assign him civil cases is alleging that his fellow judges may be using public funds inappropriately to pay their defense attorneys.
Tort reform has yet to lower Louisiana auto insurance rates, new data suggests
An insurance industry critic says a 2020 tort reform measure has given consumers a false hope of auto insurance rate reductions in the wake of a new study predicting rising premium rates this year in Louisiana.
Edwards issues posthumous pardon to plaintiff in landmark 1896 Supreme Court case
The plaintiff in the landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson has been pardoned by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards in what he said was a symbolic step toward equality and justice.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office settles 2018 wrongful death lawsuit for more than $300,000
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the family of a 22-year-old Orleans Parish resident who died in 2018 after sustaining neck injuries during an arrest by undercover officers have settled a federal lawsuit for just over $300,000.
Louisiana Supreme Court affirms Ochsner Health's COVID-19 vaccine mandate
The Louisiana Supreme Court has upheld the COVID-19 vaccine mandate Ochsner Health has imposed on health care workers at its Louisiana medical facilities, concluding the mandate does not violate privacy rights in the state constitution.
Parish tax officials seek dismissal of federal lawsuit challenging Louisiana sales tax system
Several local tax officials in Louisiana have asked a federal judge to dismiss a potentially far-reaching lawsuit that challenges the state’s parish-based sales and use tax system as unconstitutionally burdensome to out-of-state businesses.
Landry files suit over federal masking rule for Head Start toddlers
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has launched a multistate legal challenge of a Biden administration masking mandate for toddlers enrolled in Head Start programs and a vaccine mandate for Head Start staff and volunteers.
Federal lawsuit alleges oil firm was negligent in oil tank blast that killed Louisiana teen
The family of a Beauregard Parish teen who was killed in an oil field tank battery explosion that hurled her body hundreds of yards from the tank site is suing a Texas oil company and the company’s insurer for negligence.