Karma, you gotta love it.
A lawsuit brought by a Houma couple against Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter has been settled for an undisclosed amount, according to a story posted online by the Houma DAILY COURIER.
The couple, Houma police officer Wayne Anderson and wife Jennifer, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New Orleans after Larpenter obtained what was quickly determined an unconstitutional search warrant in order to carry out an equally unconstitutional raid on the couple’s home and to cart off computers and cellphones while investigating ExposeDAT, an anti-corruption website that was critical of Larpenter.
Also named as defendants in the Anderson’s lawsuit were Parish President Gordon Dove, the Terrebonne Parish government, the Terrebonne Levee District and levee board member and local businessman Tony Alford. Alford and the levee district were subsequently dismissed by the Andersons and U.S. District Judge Lance Africk dismissed Dove and the parish as defendants after the parties reached a $50,000 settlement, the newspaper said.
The order signed by Africk dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, which means the suit can be re-instituted should Larpenter not honor the settlement terms.
Wayne Anderson, whose blog was critical of Larpenter and which prompted the illegal raid, told New Orleans WWL-TV, “I think the sheriff’s finally learned that he can’t bully people and violate people’s constitutional rights. In our case, he stepped on the wrong people’s constitutional rights because we knew our rights. Hopefully, he thinks twice the next time he gets his feelings hurt.”
The paper said that Larpenter filed a request in May to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds of qualified immunity.
That has to go down as one of the more ironic twists in the entire episode: Larpenter, ignoring the Constitutional guarantee of free speech of citizens as laid out in the First Amendment, took offense at criticism contained in a web blog and raided a person’s home on no more substantial probable cause than that and yet thinking he was protected by qualified immunity.
Judge Africk correctly denied that motion on July 19 and Larpenter, seeing the handwriting on the wall, chose to settle rather than go to trial and most likely subject himself to another judicial lecture on the Constitution.
Terrebonne, this is your sheriff.
Louisiana Voice 
I’m guessing he didn’t settle out of his own pocket, and he should have.
Oh what sweet justice it would be if Wayne Anderson ran against Larpenter and won to become the new Sheriff of Terrebonne Parish. Larpenter would go bankrupt paying for all the “serious violations” that the new Sheriff would charge him with. You know, stuff like jaywalking, failure to use turn signal, speeding 2 mph over the speed limit IN A SCHOOL ZONE, failure to take his garbage off of the street in a timely manner, and most egregious would be found in speaking ungraciously about the new Sheriff! You’re right. Gotta love Karma!
Terrorbonne, this is your Sheriff but hopefully for not much longer.
IT IS WHAT IT IS AND IT AIN’T OVER UNTIL THE FAT ANGEL SINGS!
Congratulations to Mrs.Smitko, Jennifer and Wayne Anderson.
Good luck and God Bless those who fight for what is right!
Guess JBE is not going to do anything about corruption in LSFMO. Kind of typical for La. Politics.
Don’t guess Trump is either. If a dog is loose on your street do you call the governor? No. Your sentence should have read Don’t guess governor wannabe AG Jeff Landry or the local DA are going to do anything about this either? as that’s whos responsibility it is. Cheap shot, and not a very good one at that.
Legit retort! Kinda ironic that a retired State Fire Marshal just got burned. LOL
The Governor can do something about the LSFMO, Butch is appointed. JBE could replace him at any time but he chooses to ignore the corruption.
How can we change this so citizens can see what our government agencies pay out in lawsuit settlements?
Our Governor is a lawyer. He is not likely to want to publicize those settlements. And if Wayne Anderson ran for Sheriff, he would likely get all of 30 votes. Most people like most of what Sheriff Larpenter does for the community and the money he has saved the Parish, the School Board, and the community at large. We have a top notch Sheriffs’ Office, among the best in the state that can and does respond to any and all problems.
While I agree the raid was ill advised, the raid does not offset the great job he has done with limited resources (our sales tax revenues have been down for what – 10 years ?).
Are you kidding? It absolutely does. It shows a direct propensity for abuse of power.
The judge stipulated that this lawsuit was not to be sealed. The public will have a right to view this settlement amount, like it or not.
What does the Governor have to do with this?
I agree that sales revenue has dropped and drug sales have gone up. Yeah!
do not pass Go, but pay up.
ethics lessons abound…
s
Good for you Wayne and Jennifer Anderson. Resist locally!