Rebecca Campbell News
Benson settles lawsuit pitting him against overseers of trusts benefiting estranged relatives
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson has finalized an agreement settling a lawsuit he filed nearly two years ago against officials overseeing a group of trust funds benefiting his estranged relatives.
Judge dismisses ACLU lawsuit aimed at boosting Louisiana's indigent defense funding
BATON ROUGE — A federal judge in Baton Rouge has dismissed a lawsuit brought against the office by the American Civil Liberties Union that attempted to force the state to change budget inadequacies for those who can’t afford lawyers under court order.
Lawyer plans $9 million new downtown Baton Rouge offices
BATON ROUGE — Spencer Calahan, a personal-injury lawyer, is planning to build a new downtown Baton Rouge office, which will feature a helicopter landing pad and an outdoor kitchen.
Louisiana indigent defendants’ suit filed by ACLU dismissed by federal judge
NEW ORLEANS – A federal judge has said that Louisiana’s system of funding lawyers for indigent defendants is in crisis, but he dismissed a lawsuit asking the state to find a remedy.
Federal district court to hear NAACP's minority-judgeship lawsuit
NEW ORLEANS — An NAACP lawsuit alleges that Terrebonne Parish's system of selecting judges violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act, and its aim of creating a minority-based judicial district is to be heard at Louisiana’s federal district court on March 13.
More people sentenced to prison terms in Deepwater Horizon claims-fraud cases
GULFPORT, Miss. — Two people have been sentenced to prison after they were found to defraud the Deepwater Horizon spill fund.
Police report on stripper's death rejected in lawsuit arguments
NEW ORLEANS — A lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s new law setting the minimum age for strippers at 21 has seen a judge rejecting lawyers' arguments to look into a police report on the death of a 19-year-old stripper.
Jefferson Parish justice of the peace suspected of improperly using court money at casinos
GRETNA, La. — A Jefferson Parish justice of the peace has been disqualified
from performing his duties as officials investigate the alleged
misuse of thousands of dollars from the court’s operating account.
St. James Parish president pleads not guilty to corruption charges, wants recusal of judges and district attorney
CONVENT, La. – St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel has asked for the recusal of all judges in the 23rd Judicial District and District Attorney Ricky Babin after being accused of using public money and workers for a private job.
Lawsuit against Louisiana College could be settled
PINEVILLE, La. — A lawsuit between Louisiana College and its former president could be settled outside of court, according to reports.
Seven Louisiana residents sue Honeywell over acid leak
GEISMAR — Seven Geismar-area residents have filed a lawsuit against Honeywell, claiming they suffered “fear, fright, and inconvenience,” according to a news report, after one of the company's nearby plants began leaking sulfuric acid.
Attorney General Jeff Landry sets himself up as John Bel Edwards’ political foe
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Gov. John Bel Edwards have been causing headlines in the Capitol on several issues ranging from budgets and lawsuits to gay rights and immigration policing.
Lone Pine Order removes more than 20,000 'meritless' Deepwater Horizon claims
NEW ORLEANS – A federal judge issued a Lone Pine Order earlier this year to identify and cull more than 20,000 potentially meritless claims against clean-up companies that responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster.
Richard Ieyoub to be inducted into La.'s Political Museum Hall of Fame
LAFAYETTE – Former attorney general Richard Ieyoub will be inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum Hall of Fame on Saturday in Lafayette.
Atheist group won’t pursue legal action against Covington Police Department over religious motto
NEW ORLEANS — The Freedom from Religion Foundation has said that it has no plans to sue the Covington Police Department over its recent use of "In God We Trust" stickers on its police vehicles.
Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance fights NOAA over aqua farms
NEW ORLEANS — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) decision to approve industrial offshore fish farming last month in federally protected waters in the Gulf of Mexico is a strong concern in a "delicate and restricted estuarine system," according to a leading non-profit fisherman’s organization.
Orleans Parish public defenders' office sued by ACLU over refusal of cases
BATON ROUGE – The cash-starved Orleans Parish public defenders' office is being sued after allegedly placing poor people connected to crimes on a "waiting list" and leaving them without access to lawyers.
Cameron Parish adds to oil and gas industry woes by filing suit over coastal damage
NEW ORLEANS — Cameron Parish filed at least 11 lawsuits against more than 100 oil and gas companies on Monday in what is a "litigious legal system," according to the president of one of the state’s trade associations.