Taryn Phaneuf News
Lawsuit alleges sheriff's deputy abused incarcerated minor
NEW ORLEANS — A young girl jailed in St. Bernard Parish Jail claims she was repeatedly abused by a sheriff’s deputy, who allegedly made requests and orders that grew more explicit as time passed.
Louisiana Supreme Court upholds confidentiality of Catholic confession
NEW ORLEANS — Priests have no legal obligation to break the seal of confessions and report confidential information heard during the sacrament, a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling has declared.
Senate candidate loses legal fight to join upcoming debate
BATON ROUGE — A judge has quashed a political candidate’s attempt to legally force organizers of an Oct. 18 debate to include more participants.
Louisiana corrections department accused of not providing interpreters for hard of hearing
BATON ROUGE — A class action suit alleges Louisiana violates federal law by not providing deaf and hard of hearing probationers and parolees with qualified interpreters and other aids during classes and meetings.
Compliance administrator named to embattled Orleans Parish Prison under DOJ consent decree order
NEW ORLEANS — The new compliance director taking the reins of the Orleans Justice Center comes to Louisiana from Maryland with 40 years of experience in corrections.
Activists accuse Baton Rouge officials of illegal arrests
BATON ROUGE — Pointing to news reports, cell phone videos and photographs, three people who were arrested during protests in Baton Rouge after the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling are suing Baton Rouge officials and state police for civil rights violations, alleging police responded to protesters in a “militarized and aggressive manner.”
Gusman expected to choose jail compliance director by Aug. 26
NEW ORLEANS — Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman is close to picking the new compliance director who will run the Orleans Justice Center.
Trial of lawyer accused of fraud after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill begins
The jury has started hearing testimony in the trial of a Texas lawyer who is accused of fraud and identity theft after allegedly inflating the number of clients he represented in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Louisiana Department of Natural Resources appeals $750,000 whistleblower verdict
BATON ROUGE — The whistleblower in a lawsuit against the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is disappointed that the state has opted to appeal the verdict that awarded him $750,000.
Chinese government says it's immune from U.S. drywall litigation
NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana consumers and others whose homes were ruined by toxic drywall made in China suffered another setback in their quest to recover damages.
State Senate steps in to send oil spill recovery funds to central office
BATON ROUGE — After some controversy over how to distribute the first of the Deep Horizon oil spill recovery payments, the Louisiana Senate took action last week to reroute $7 million from the state attorney general’s office to the governor’s coastal office.
Judge settles some of the claims over 2005 fatal beating by New Orleans police
NEW ORLEANS — After refusing to dismiss a lawsuit against the city of New Orleans and several police officers for the fatal beating of a man in 2005, a federal judge has decided a number of claims in the suit in favor of the deceased man’s relatives.
Deepwater Horizon judge turns attention to individual claims against BP
NEW ORLEANS — After six years of waiting their turn, individuals and businesses suing BP for damage caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill could be much closer to getting their day in court.
Loyola law school graduate named to National Trial Attorneys Top 100 for third year
NEW ORLEANS — To Danny Luneau, a criminal defense attorney and a Louisiana native, his job is about giving people accused of a crime “a fair shot.”
CORRECTION: Louisiana deals with a lot of medical malpractice suits, data shows
With the highest rate of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in 2015 compared to other states, it appears that Louisiana residents are the most likely to accuse a doctor, nurse, or dentist of negligence, according to data analyzed by a career information company.
Southern University faces credit rating downgrade
BATON ROUGE — Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the Southern University System debt and issuer ratings earlier this month, citing the school’s financial inflexibility in the face of declining state funding.
Hunters ask court to lift the ban on dog-deer hunting in Kisatchie National Forest
ALEXANDRIA — Hunters trying to overturn the ban on hunting deer with dogs in the state’s only national forest claim an arbitrary decision affects a tradition they’ve passed on for generations.
Calls for 18th Judicial District Court judge to resign
BATON ROUGE — As the Louisiana Supreme Court considers a recommendation to suspend Judge J. Robin Free for a year over allegations of misconduct, a local editorial board is calling for his resignation.
Budget crisis, oil 'slump' push Louisiana down in rankings by business leaders
Business leaders’ regard for the Pelican state has changed drastically in the last year.
St. Tammany Parish DA asks court to give him control of all parish government legal affairs
COVINGTON — A 22nd Judicial District Court judge will hold the second hearing in a lawsuit between the district attorney and the St. Tammany Parish government on Monday.