Michael Carroll News
Groups file amicus brief supporting man's right to compare pandemic to zombie apocalypse
Ensuring that humor in its many forms continues to receive the full protection of the First Amendment has become an increasingly serious issue for supporters of a Louisiana man who was arrested for posting a joke on Facebook.
Proposed social cost of carbon nearly quadruples amid Louisiana-led legal battle
A draft report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would increase its estimated social cost of carbon dioxide nearly fourfold – even as a Louisiana legal challenge to federal measures to monetize harm caused by greenhouse gases plays out.
Settlement resolves long-running antitrust lawsuit against Louisiana shorthand reporters board
A lengthy and complex legal battle in which the Louisiana board overseeing shorthand reporters was accused of engaging in anti-competitive practices against court-reporting firms came to an end last month, with both sides claiming victory.
Republican field for Louisiana governor's race coming into focus
The GOP field in next year’s Louisiana governor race is beginning to take shape, with U.S. Sen. John Kennedy saying he is seriously considering a run and the state Republican Party giving an early endorsement to state Attorney General Jeff Landry.
Landry hails appeals court ruling declaring federal horseracing law unconstitutional
Federal horseracing regulators will pursue a review of a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that concluded the recently passed Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) is unconstitutional.
Attorney weighing appeal of $12.5 million settlement in Bob Dean nursing home lawsuit
The attorney representing scores of Louisiana nursing home residents who were evacuated to a sweltering, ill-equipped warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish during Hurricane Ida last year is looking to appeal a $12.5 million class action settlement.
State transportation officials should detour from Baton Rouge freeway plan, Landry says
State Attorney General Jeff Landry has weighed in on a multiyear freeway renovation project in Baton Rouge, saying in a letter to the Louisiana transportation secretary that the planned narrowing of I-10 in 2024 may not be in the best interests of the public.
Fifth Circuit asked to resolve case of Louisiana man who was arrested for posting a joke on Facebook
In a filing with a federal appeals court, a Rapides Parish man alleges that his First Amendment rights were violated when a sheriff’s SWAT team arrested him for posting a Facebook joke comparing the COVID-19 pandemic to a zombie apocalypse.
New Orleans council passes legal protections for renters seeking dwelling repairs
The New Orleans City Council on Nov. 3 passed a “Healthy Homes” ordinance designed to ensure the habitability of rental units in the city, but some observers question the measure’s effectiveness due to its lack of regular safety inspections.
Federal judge rules inmate care at David Wade Correctional Center is inhumane, unconstitutional
A federal judge has ruled that David Wade Correctional Center (DWCC) in Homer, La., has violated the constitutional rights of inmates through inhumane conditions and a failure to provide adequate mental health care.
Chemical company sues Livingston Parish for blocking carbon sequestration project
A company planning to build a $4.5 billion clean energy complex in southeast Louisiana is suing Livingston Parish after parish officials passed a measure that blocks seismic tests and other preparations for sequestering carbon dioxide.
Metairie attorney challenging legality of Biden administration's loan forgiveness plan
A Metairie attorney is suing to overturn the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan, arguing that the federal action violates the Constitution’s separation-of-powers doctrine and represents “an arbitrary and capricious wealth transfer.”
Federal judge's order calls for law firm to be fined for questionable hurricane filings
A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered a Houston law firm to be fined $200 for each duplicate, dismissed or otherwise problematic lawsuit it has filed stemming from damage caused by Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020.
Lake Charles now leads nation in federal insurance lawsuit filings
The storm-battered Lake Charles region of Louisiana has become the epicenter of federal insurance-related lawsuits for 2021-2022, according to a new study by a nonpartisan research center in New York.
Louisiana high court rejects extending non-unanimous jury ban retroactively
In a ruling that denies new trials to at least 1,000 inmates convicted by split-jury decisions, the Louisiana Supreme Court has refused to extend a ban on non-unanimous jury verdicts to apply retroactively in serious criminal cases.
State courts should try coastal erosion lawsuits against oil companies, Fifth Circuit decides
The civil lawsuits filed by parishes seeking billions of dollars from Louisiana energy companies for their alleged role in coastal erosion should be decided in state rather than federal courts, a federal appeals court has decided.
Lawsuit alleging social media-White House collusion expands to 47 defendants
A lawsuit spearheaded by the Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general’s offices that alleges a “massive, sprawling” campaign of collusion between the federal government and social media companies has expanded to include 47 defendants.
Reform of industrial tax break system boosts revenues flowing to parishes, study finds
Changes to Louisiana’s process for approving industrial tax exemptions have led to annual revenue increases for schools, law enforcement and other local services to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, a new economic study concluded.
Challenge to Louisiana's sales tax system heads to Fifth Circuit
The New Orleans-based Pelican Institute and other groups have appealed a federal district court ruling earlier this year that dismissed a challenge to Louisiana’s sales tax system as unconstitutional, overly burdensome for businesses and convoluted.
Louisiana treasurer pulls $794 million out of BlackRock in protest over green energy policy
Louisiana is pulling nearly $800 million in state treasury funds out of the investment firm BlackRock Inc. to protest its green energy commitments, joining several other Republican-leaning states that see Blackrock as a threat to the oil and gas industry.