Michael Carroll News
Federal appeals court hears Louisiana's case against federal horseracing authority
The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office remains optimistic about its efforts to sideline a new federal effort to regulate the horseracing industry in the wake of oral arguments before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.
Louisiana's U.S. senators back bill supporting independent local news outlets
Louisiana’s two U.S. senators are supporting a bipartisan bill that would allow small, local news organizations to earn compensation from tech companies such as Facebook and Google, which bill supporters say are unfairly profiting off of small publishers’ content.
Appeals court sides with Louisiana bar owners who challenged governor's COVID-19 orders
A state appeals court has overturned a lower court’s conclusion that Louisiana bar owners had no cause of action in their 2021 challenge to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ use of business shutdown orders during the pandemic.
Baton Rouge pays attorney $86,000 to settle civil suit alleging retaliation
The Baton Rouge Metro Council has settled a lawsuit with a Virginia law professor and attorney, agreeing to pay Thomas Frampton $86,000 after he alleged the city had retaliated against him for exercising his First Amendment rights.
Louisiana high court gives Shreveport mayor green light to seek re-election
In a 4-3 decision authored by Chief Justice John Weimer, the Louisiana Supreme Court has reversed an appeals court ruling that found Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins was ineligible to run for re-election.
Louisiana tax panel to clarify rules on companies' property tax exemptions
The Louisiana Tax Commission seems poised to clarify the rules for when parish assessors can take large commercial properties off of local tax rolls, potentially saving taxpayers in the New Orleans area alone millions of dollars.
Brad Pitt foundation settles litigation over defects in New Orleans homes for $20.5 million
New Orleans residents and a housing program launched by Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have settled a class-action lawsuit alleging widespread home construction defects for $20.5 million.
Lawsuits, inflated property insurance claims expected amid Louisiana market uncertainties
Out-of-state plaintiffs’ attorneys and insurance claims investigators are descending on Louisiana in hopes of reaping financial rewards from residential damage resulting from four storms that slammed the state during the last two hurricane seasons.
More turbulence hits Louisiana insurance market as Weston Property & Casualty collapses
A property insurance company with an estimated 10,700 policyholders in Louisiana is being liquidated after being declared insolvent by Florida regulators, putting more financial pressures on the state’s insurance industry at the height of hurricane season.
Appeals court ruling reinstates most federal horseracing rules in Louisiana
A federal appeals court has partly lifted a stay that barred a new horseracing regulatory authority from enforcing its rules in Louisiana and West Virginia in a move that pleased animal-welfare groups.
State appeals court rules Shreveport mayor ineligible to run for re-election
Attorneys representing Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins said they would appeal a court opinion handed down Monday that found Perkins was ineligible to run for re-election because he wrote the wrong address on his nomination papers
Federal horseracing regulations on hold in Louisiana as lawsuit advances
A federal judge has granted the states of Louisiana and West Virginia an injunction against the implementation of horseracing regulations by a nonprofit authority, but the judge stopped short of ruling the new federal program unconstitutional.
Baton Rouge Council rejects $125,000 settlement in wrongful death lawsuit
The Baton Rouge Metro Council last week rejected a proposed $125,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by the family of Kevin Bajoie, who died seven years ago after police arrested him using stun guns.
Federal suit seeks to prove Biden administration collusion with social media firms
A federal lawsuit alleging that the Biden administration coerced or colluded with social media companies to suppress disfavored opinions is now entering an expedited discovery phase that some observers say will produce “seismic” results.
Environmentalists challenge proposed liquefied natural gas plant near Lake Charles
New Orleans-based Healthy Gulf and the Sierra Club have petitioned a federal appeals court to review a dredge-and-fill permit issued in 2019 for the construction of a $25 billion liquefied natural gas facility in southwest Louisiana.
Weimer automatically wins re-election to Supreme Court as no opponents enter race
Chief Justice John Weimer was automatically re-elected to another 10-year term on the Louisiana Supreme Court last week after no other candidate stepped up to challenge him during the qualifying process for the Nov. 8 contest.
Family of man who died after drug overdose in jail cell sues Orleans officials
The family of a man who committed suicide at the Orleans Justice Center (OJC) by overdosing on illegal drugs has filed a federal lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Office and multiple jail personnel, saying they failed to ensure his safety while in custody.
Jefferson Parish resident sues Walmart over injuries sustained in cart collision
A customer at a Walmart store in Donaldsonville is suing the retailer after an employee allegedly pushed several grocery carts into the shopper’s cart, causing her to fall to the floor and sustain bruises, abrasions and other injuries.
Legal settlement aims to clean up wastes at former Geismar fertilizer plant
A billion pounds of hazardous waste collected at a former fertilizer plant south of Baton Rouge will be cleaned up and threats to nearby wetlands reduced as a result of a settlement announced by state and federal officials.
Federal judge lifts order blocking Louisiana chief justice from seeking re-election
An unusual court order temporarily blocking the chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from running for re-election this year was lifted July 13, clearing the way for John Weimer to formally enter the race during the July 20-22 qualifying period.