Louisiana

Ex-Associate of Law Firm Charged With Wire Fraud, Accused of Obtaining $453K from Trust Account

An ex-associate of a Baton Rouge, La., law firm has been federally charged with wire fraud for allegedly using fraudulent misrepresentations to persuade his former firm to send $93,750 to a bank account under his control. The charging document, a bill of information, also contends, however, that James M. “Tres”…

Nov 28, 2012 6:08 PM CST

Doubly Disbarred? In-House Lawyer Who Didn’t Disclose Sanction Gets Permanent Punishment

A disbarred Louisiana lawyer who didn’t disclose the sanction to WorldCom and Verizon while working in their legal departments has now been permanently disbarred. The Louisiana Supreme Court permanently disbarred James David Turnage on Friday after he failed to respond to the ethics charges. The Legal Profession Blog links to…

Nov 19, 2012 12:15 PM CST

Anonymous Blog Comments Snag Another US Prosecutor; Suit Cited ‘Superfluous Spacing’ as Clue

A New Orleans federal prosecutor who was second in command to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten has been demoted after admitting she posted anonymous comments on a newspaper website. Letten announced the demotion of First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Mann on Thursday, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Associated Press reported.…

Nov 12, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Defense Attorney Arrested in Court, Accused of Stalking Female Prosecutor

A Louisiana defense attorney was arrested Thursday on a warrant in a New Orleans courtroom and charged Friday with two counts of stalking after police say he harassed a female prosecutor. Maurice Tyler is accused of entering a courtroom Wednesday in which a prosecutor was working, despite being told to…

Nov 9, 2012 10:54 PM CST

Top La. Court Nixes Lawyer’s Argument That Judicial Bribery Scheme Doesn’t Call for Disbarment

A suspended Louisiana trial lawyer has been permanently disbarred for his role in a Mississippi judicial bribery scheme. Rejecting arguments by Paul S. Minor that attorney discipline should not take place until his criminal appeals are final and that disbarment is too harsh a punishment, given the mitigating circumstances, the…

Oct 19, 2012 10:00 PM CDT

Louisiana Supreme Court Settles ‘Racially Charged’ Dispute over Its New Top Judge

Bernette Johnson will become the first black chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court after the court ruled Tuesday in a dispute over seniority, The court ruled Johnson, a Democrat, had the seniority that entitled her to the job under a state constitutional provision that does not distinguish between elected…

Oct 17, 2012 2:06 PM CDT

Jones Walker Law Firm Sponsors Blood Drive for Lawyer Shot in Carjacking

The Jones Walker law firm in New Orleans is sponsoring a blood drive on Monday for one of its lawyers who was shot in a carjacking earlier this week. Sanford Kaynor, a special counsel in the firm’s corporate and securities practice, was critically injured, WGNO reports. The 53-year-old lawyer was…

Oct 5, 2012 11:27 AM CDT

Oops. Nearby Cops Say Joint Fell from City Attorney’s Pocket, in Court; He Resigns After Suspension

An assistant New Orleans city attorney received a municipal summons charging him with simple marijuana possession after, police say, a joint dropped out of his pocket as he was chatting with a city police officer Monday in Orleans Parish Magistrate Court while working as private defense counsel. Jason Cantrell, 43,…

Oct 4, 2012 7:30 PM CDT

Two Lawyers Federally Indicted re Claimed Retail Distribution of Potpourri Laced With Synthetic Pot

Two Lafayette, La., lawyers are among nine individuals and one business defendant accused in a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday of operating a multistate synthetic marijuana manufacturing and distribution network that allegedly brought in millions of dollars in less than a year. Barry L. Domingue, 52, and Daniel James Stanford, 54,…

Oct 3, 2012 4:40 PM CDT

Top LSU Lawyer Resigns From $275K General Counsel Job, Will Now Work as Law School Prof

After more than a decade on the job, the general counsel of Louisiana State University system resigned Thursday from his $275,000-a-year position, effective Friday, in what is apparently the latest move in a continuing shake-up that began after new members appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal took control of the system’s…

Sep 7, 2012 3:58 PM CDT

New Orleans Police to Operate Under US Monitor; Blind Photo Lineups and Video Questioning Required

The New Orleans Police Department will operate for at least the next four years under a federal monitor as the result of an agreement reached with federal officials. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the consent decree (PDF) on Tuesday, saying it is one of the most expansive in the history…

Jul 25, 2012 11:45 AM CDT

IG Seeks Review of Ex-Chief Municipal Judge’s Hiring of Relatives; Their Wages Cost $39K Per Month

Although there appears to be no clearcut prohibition against employing family members, a New Orleans inspector general is asking the Louisiana Judiciary Commission to take a look what he calls “the appearance of abuse” created by a former chief municipal court judge’s hiring of 18 relatives and in-laws at a…

Jul 24, 2012 10:25 PM CDT

Suspension Recommended for Attorney Who Ran Errands for Client at $125 Per Hour

A lawyer who, among other misconduct, charged a client her usual billable rate of $125 per hour for running errands and taking him to Walmart should be suspended rather than disbarred, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board has recommended. Stepping back from an earlier hearing committee recommendation of disbarment (PDF), the…

Jul 9, 2012 10:24 PM CDT

New Louisiana Law Requires Sex Offenders on Facebook to Disclose Their Convictions

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace already bar sex offenders from using their services, but one Louisiana lawmaker feared that the online companies aren’t able to weed out all of them. State Rep. Jeff Thompson, a lawyer and father, backed a new law requiring sex offenders to state…

Jun 21, 2012 1:31 PM CDT

Federal Jury Sides with Kevin Costner in Stephen Baldwin’s $17M Suit Over Oil Spill Cleanup Machines

Kevin Costner. s_bukley / Shutterstock.com Stephen Baldwin. s_bukley / Shutterstock.com A federal jury in New Orleans sided with Kevin Costner in a lawsuit brought by fellow actor Stephen Baldwin over his investment in an oil spill cleanup machine venture that earned millions for the Field of Dreams, Bodyguard and Dances…

Jun 15, 2012 5:37 PM CDT