Criminal Justice
Gov. Landry nominates longtime parole manager to run Louisiana’s prison system
Gov. Jeff Landry has picked a longtime acquaintance with nearly 30 years of experience working in probation and parole services to run the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which includes the state prison system. Gary Westcott grew up in the same neighborhood as the governor and graduated from St. Martinville High School a few […]
Louisiana’s slanted views on youth crime show a need to focus on solutions rather than individuals
During this election season, I’ve been thinking a lot about what our voting choices can tell us about how we view ourselves as a state, as a nation, and as individuals, and how that self image is reflected in how we approach crime and punishment. I’ve always been interested in incarceration, especially as it relates […]
5th Circuit rules for Tesla in its fight to sell electric vehicles directly in Louisiana
A federal appellate panel has jump-started what had been a stalled lawsuit from electric automaker Tesla against Louisiana auto dealers and the state commission that regulates them. A change the Legislature made to state law in 2017 has prevented Tesla from selling or leasing its vehicles directly to buyers in Louisiana, forcing customers to go […]
Special Counsel Smith files new indictment in Trump’s Jan. 6 case
WASHINGTON — Adjusting for the U.S. Supreme Court’s sweeping presidential immunity decision last month, U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday filed a fresh federal indictment alleging former President Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 election in his favor. In a superseding indictment filed in the late afternoon, Smith emphasized the private nature of […]
Federal judge pauses program that grants protections for undocumented spouses
WASHINGTON — A Texas federal judge late Monday sided with 16-Republican led states, including Louisiana, to temporarily block a Biden administration program that grants deportation protections for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and a potential pathway to citizenship. The ruling by Judge J. Campbell Barker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of […]
New Louisiana law that undoes mug shot restrictions can affect livelihoods, advocates say
A new law in Louisiana undoes the progress the state has made in restricting the release of mug shots for people accused of non-violent crimes, say criminal justice reform advocates and the New Orleans public defenders’ office. Act 281, signed by Gov. Jeff Landry, went into effect Aug. 1 and essentially repeals a 2022 measure […]
Helping a minor travel for an abortion? Some states have made it a crime.
Helping a pregnant minor travel to get a legal abortion without parental consent is now a crime in at least two Republican-led states, prompting legal action by abortion-rights advocates and copycat legislation from conservative lawmakers in a handful of other states. Last year, Idaho became the first state to outlaw “abortion trafficking,” which it defined […]
Louisiana joins lawsuit to halt Biden program protecting undocumented spouses from deportation
WASHINGTON — Louisiana was among 15 states that joined a lawsuit Texas filed Friday in federal court to block the Biden administration’s program that protects long-term undocumented people married to U.S. citizens from deportation and grants them a pathway to citizenship. States in the suit, which was filed in United States District Court for the […]
Louisiana’s long-serving prisons chief suddenly steps down
One of the country’s longest-serving prison system leaders will leave his position running the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections next week.
Court permanently blocks environmental civil rights protections for Louisiana’s Black communities
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana this week issued a permanent injunction that prevents the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice from using Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to control how Louisiana regulates polluting facilities. Judge James Cain’s ruling solidifies his earlier decision in January, which […]
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers detail harsh conditions and abuse in ICE custody
Editors’ note: Albert Aronov’s name has been changed in this story to protect him from potential retribution from American officials as well as Russian authorities. In 2022, facing the prospect of murder or torture for being gay, Russian doctor Albert Aronov started a long journey that landed at the U.S. border in San Diego in […]
Landlords cry foul as more states seal eviction records
When pandemic-era tenant protections expired, rents immediately soared, and eviction filings surged last year more than 50% over pre-pandemic levels in some U.S. cities. These filings can cast long shadows. Simply being named in an eviction complaint, regardless of the outcome, can severely limit future housing options and prolong housing insecurity, according to a recent University […]