Michael Carroll News
Buffer zone law gives cops too much power, journalists say in lawsuit
BATON ROUGE - As expected, Louisiana's new law that punishes those who approach police officers has been challenged in federal court.
14 GOP attorneys general urge rejection of court opinion on Louisiana legislative maps
Fourteen Republican attorneys general have filed an amicus brief in a federal appeals court to challenge a Louisiana federal judge’s conclusion that the state’s legislative districts unconstitutionally dilute the power of Black voters.
New Orleans woman accused of stalking Mayor Cantrell sues city officials for defamation, civil rights violations
A New Orleans woman who was accused in June of stalking Mayor LaToya Cantrell has filed a federal lawsuit against the mayor and other city officials, accusing them of multiple violations of the law, defamation, abuse of process and malicious prosecution.
Energy Transfer petition to FERC: Pipeline companies must 'play by the rules'
Two energy companies involved in building natural gas infrastructure in the Louisiana-Texas region are locked in a dispute over whether the Williams Companies Inc. is “playing by the rules” in planning its extensive pipeline network.
Solar farm developer sues St. James Parish over rejection of 2,200-acre project
A large landowner and a solar farm developer are both appealing to the 23rd Judicial District Court to overturn the St. James Parish Council’s rejection of a 2,200-acre solar project on residential and agricultural land.
Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms won't be enforced before Nov. 15, judge says
The judge overseeing a federal lawsuit challenging a new Louisiana law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in all public-school classrooms has issued an order saying the religious directives would not be posted before Nov. 15.
Appeals court scales back injunction to protect Angola prisoners from summer heat
A federal appeals court has substantially narrowed an injunction requiring the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections (DPSC) to keep inmates working on the Angola prison’s Farm Line safe from extreme summer heat.
Disability-rights group sues Louisiana officials over new voting restrictions
A disabilities advocacy group is suing Louisiana state officials to prevent the enforcement of new laws that the plaintiff says violate the rights of the disabled to gain voting assistance under the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA).
New Louisiana law bars employer NDAs used to keep workplace abuses hidden
Louisiana has joined several other states, including California and New York, to prohibit the enforcement on nondisclosure agreements by employers when they serve to conceal hostile work environments or sexual harassment.
Energy industry backers welcome judge's rejection of LNG export pause
A Louisiana judge’s decision to overturn a ban on new liquefied natural gas export agreements will benefit the state’s energy economy, support oil industry jobs and ensure that U.S. allies have a secure, clean energy source, opponents of the ban say.
Landry vetoes bill that sought to make 'deepfake' depictions of political candidates illegal
Gov. Jeff Landry has vetoed a measure aimed to prohibit intentionally manipulated images, audio or videos known as “deepfakes” that are designed to deceive voters or harm the reputation of political candidates during election campaigns.
Pelican Institute lawsuit backing independent contractor classification gets national support
Free-enterprise think tanks are siding with the New Orleans-based Pelican Institute’s litigation challenging the U.S. Department of Labor’s recently published rule making it more difficult to classify workers as independent contractors.
Louisiana governor signs compromise tort-reform bill to regulate litigation financing
Gov. Jeff Landry has signed a measure into law that will bring a degree of transparency about the involvement of third-party litigation funders in subsidizing civil litigation in Louisiana.
Federal lawsuit challenges Louisiana's new law mandating Ten Commandments displays in classrooms
The ACLU of Louisiana and other groups supporting the separation of church and state filed a federal lawsuit this week challenging a just-signed state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all public-school classrooms.
Louisiana governor vetoes bill aimed at moderating medical damages calculations in civil suits
Louisiana’s insurance commissioner is calling for a special legislative session on legal reforms in the wake of Gov. Jeff Landry vetoing a bill favored by business groups that would have clarified medical payment amounts used to determine civil damages awards.
Louisiana federal courts outpace the nation in litigated insurance claims, new report says
Federal court districts in Louisiana have led the nation in processing litigated property insurance claims in recent years, with about one-third of such claims being filed in the Western District and Eastern District of Louisiana, a new study found.
Attorneys question Louisiana federal judge's conduct after recusal in port contractor's lawsuit
Attorneys representing a commercial tenant at the Port of Lake Charles have accused two federal judges of engaging in communications that cast doubt on the impartiality of an ongoing legal proceeding in the Western District of Louisiana.
Energy workers group sues Biden administration over its pause on new LNG export contracts
The Texas-based Oil & Gas Workers Association is suing to stop the Biden administration’s current pause in new approvals of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export agreements with legal help from the New Orleans-based Pelican Institute for Public Policy.
State's high court suspends Baton Rouge lawyer who called himself 'Emperor of the American Empire'
A Baton Rouge attorney who referred to himself in court filings as “Emperor of the American Empire” and “Christian Emperor d’Orleans” has been suspended by the state Supreme Court and ordered not to be reinstated until submitting to a mental health exam.
New Louisiana law barring people from approaching police officers seen as First Amendment threat
A new Louisiana law that makes it a crime to approach police officers engaged in their official duties will likely face a legal challenge due to its encroachment on First Amendment rights, the head of a statewide criminal defense attorney group predicts.