A new legal battle has erupted in Louisiana as two property owners challenge a controversial ordinance they claim infringes on their constitutional rights. On December 13, 2024, Abraham Williams and Lorraine Williams filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against St. Tammany Parish and its President, Mike Cooper. The plaintiffs are seeking declarative and injunctive relief, along with damages and attorney fees, over an ordinance they argue is unconstitutional.
The plaintiffs, Abraham and Lorraine Williams, are residents of St. Tammany Parish who own several rental properties in the area. They have taken legal action against St. Tammany Parish and its President, Mike Cooper, due to Ordinance 7530—a law that imposes stringent requirements on property owners housing registered sex offenders. According to the complaint, this ordinance requires landlords to obtain a Transitional Facility Permit if their properties house a certain percentage of registered sex offenders. The plaintiffs received notice from Ross P. Liner, Director of Planning & Development for St. Tammany Parish, warning them of enforcement actions should they fail to comply by January 1, 2025.
The Williamses argue that Ordinance 7530 violates multiple constitutional provisions including the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures and the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process. They assert that the ordinance effectively deputizes property owners as government agents by mandating them to monitor tenants' criminal activities or face severe penalties such as permit revocation or fines. The complaint cites several Supreme Court cases supporting their stance that government cannot condition permits on waiving constitutional rights.
The plaintiffs contend that the ordinance is designed to make it financially prohibitive for landlords to rent to sex offenders by imposing costly requirements like $5,000 annual permit fees and mandatory insurance policies worth $1 million. Furthermore, they claim it allows unwarranted inspections by local authorities without probable cause or judicial oversight—an overreach they believe is unconstitutional.
Abraham and Lorraine Williams seek a permanent injunction preventing enforcement of Ordinance 7530 along with a declaratory judgment declaring it unconstitutional. They also request compensation for any damages incurred due to this ordinance alongside coverage for legal expenses under federal civil rights statutes.
Representing the plaintiffs is Jim Holt from Baton Rouge-based Holt Law Firm while no attorneys for the defendants were listed in the document. The case was filed under Civil Action No: 2:24-cv-02877 but no judge has been assigned yet.