Louisiana

Supreme Court will hear Louisiana map case with impacts for Black voters

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a complex dispute over how Louisiana draws congressional maps that could affect the power of Black voters in the state and the balance of power in Congress. The case will not impact Tuesday’s election since it won’t be decided for months, but legal experts said it could have significant ramifications for how states consider race in drawing congressional districts to comply with the Voting Rights Act.

Nov 4, 2024 12:00 PM CST

Ex-prosecutor indicted for alleged bribery conspiracy is ‘honorable man,’ his lawyer says

A former Louisiana prosecutor accused in a kickback scheme is an “honorable man” who will “stand tall and fight these false allegations,” according to his lawyer.

Sep 23, 2024 1:32 PM CDT

5th Circuit becomes ‘proving ground’ for aggressive arguments by conservatives

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at New Orleans has become "a proving ground for some of the most aggressive conservative arguments in American law,” according to the New York Times.

Sep 4, 2024 8:59 AM CDT

Suit filed against Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms

A coalition of groups filed a lawsuit Monday against the state of Louisiana’s new requirement to post the Ten Commandments in every school classroom, claiming parents’ rights are violated by the new law.

Jun 26, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

5th Circuit ‘glossed over complexities,’ Supreme Court says in refusing to curb US social media contacts

Two states and five social media users don’t have standing to sue U.S. officials for allegedly pressuring social media companies to curb protected speech, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Jun 26, 2024 9:49 AM CDT

Louisiana requires Ten Commandments to be displayed in public classrooms

Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed legislation Wednesday requiring every public classroom in Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments, becoming the first state with such a law and inflaming tensions over the separation between church and state.

Jun 20, 2024 10:15 AM CDT

Court blocks enforcement of Title IX rules protecting transgender students

A federal court temporarily blocked the Education Department from enforcing new regulations aimed at protecting transgender students in schools, finding that opponents who sued to stop it are likely to prevail when the case is fully considered.

Jun 14, 2024 3:45 PM CDT

Bookkeeper’s vacation was her undoing, civil suit says; discovery leads to plea in $2.5M theft

A bookkeeper for a New Orleans law firm pleaded guilty to wire fraud last week after she was accused of embezzling $2.5 million from her employer.

May 22, 2024 8:38 AM CDT

Supreme Court restores Louisiana voting map with majority-Black district

The Supreme Court restored a congressional voting map in Louisiana on Wednesday that includes an additional majority-Black district, handing a victory to African American voters and Democrats less than six months before the November election.

May 16, 2024 12:00 PM CDT

Judge used N-word when questioning whether prosecutors were too aggressive, transcript shows

Updated: A Black judge in Louisiana used the N-word and complained about a “piss-poor" resolution of a case while chastising prosecutors during an April hearing, a transcript indicates.

May 15, 2024 11:19 AM CDT

May 8, 1867: Trolley segregation ends in New Orleans

Since their inaugural service in the 1830s, streetcars were a source of both convenience and resentment for the Black citizens of New Orleans. With their access limited by local “Black codes” only to “star cars”—segregated trolleys emblazoned with a black star—even free Black workers, housewives and shoppers found a daily reminder that their freedom bore scant resemblance to that of whites.

Apr 1, 2024 12:05 AM CDT

Controversial qualified immunity doctrine faces tests in Louisiana

The U.S. Supreme Court has recently declined to hear cases challenging qualified immunity. But legal scholars believe they’ve found inroads to challenging the judicial doctrine, including a transcription error in the text of an 1871 law.

Feb 1, 2024 12:50 AM CST

Living through Hurricane Katrina inspired Alessandra Jerolleman’s disaster justice advocacy

Alessandra Jerolleman lost her home, her car and much of her community to the Hurricane Katrina’s powerful surge and flood waters. But Jerolleman found the hurricane also changed her life in another profound way.

Jan 24, 2024 2:32 PM CST

‘Nuclear verdicts’ and ‘litigation tourism’ are partly why these state courts are top ‘judicial hellholes,’ report says

Courts in Georgia and Pennsylvania are named as top "judicial hellholes" for their friendliness to tort plaintiffs in a report by the American Tort Reform Foundation.

Dec 8, 2023 2:13 PM CST

Mandatory bar violated First Amendment by posting rainbow flag, wellness advice, 5th Circuit says

Updated: A federal appeals court has ruled for a Louisiana lawyer who alleged that the mandatory state bar association violated his First Amendment rights by spending dues money on speech that is not germane to regulating lawyers or improving legal services.

Nov 15, 2023 9:04 AM CST