Louisiana Voice

Kory York is the latest of five state troopers who beat, kicked and tased a helpless Ronald Greene in 2019 until he died, handcuffed and lying on the ground, to walk out of court a free man after plea bargaining his penalty down to a $1,000 fine. Third Judicial District Judge Thomas Rogers a year ago DISMISSED CHARGES against two other former state troopers, Dakota DeMoss and John Peters.

BERNARD NOBLE, an African-American, was stopped by New Orleans police as he was riding a bicycle. On the ground was a small bag of marijuana, an amount rough equivalent to two joints. He was subsequently sentenced to 13 and one-half years in prison, actually serving seven.

JOHN PAUL FUNES was found guilty in 2019 of embezzling nearly $800,000 from a children’s hospital foundation. He was sentenced to 33 months. That’s two years and nine months for stealing from sick children. He served only 14 months before his release.

An anomaly, you say? Well then, how about DEREK HARRIS of Abbeville? An unemployed Gulf War veteran, he was busted for selling $30 worth of weed to an undercover agent. He sat in jail for three years as his trial was continued (postponed) time after time before he finally opted for a judge trial instead of a jury trial.

The judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison on June 16, 2012 but that wasn’t enough for the district attorney who filed a habitual offender bill of information (a bill of information is executed by the DA without benefit of a grand jury’s hearing the evidence) based on Harris’s prior arrests and five months later, on Nov. 26, he was sentenced to life without parole.

Paul R. Allen, CEO of Taylor Bean & Whitaker, one of the nation’s largest privately-held mortgage lenders, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in a $3 billion (billion with a “B”) CORPORATE FRAUD SCHEME that had the ripple effect of costing about 2,000 people their jobs

ROY BROWN, a homeless African-American man, robbed a Shreveport bank but took only $100 from the stack of bills handed him. He explained that that was all he needed because he was homeless and hungry. Later that same day, overcome by remorse, he turned himself in and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

But for one-upmanship, it difficult to top RICK SCOTT. Scott at one time was the CEO of Columbia/HCA, at the time the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain. That was before Scott was ousted and Columbia/HCA in 2003 settled the largest health care fraud fine – a whopping $1.7 billion – at the time. Scott’s punishment? First, he was elected governor of Florida and later to the U.S. Senate where he continues to serve and is even being touted by some as a future Republican candidate for President.

So what’s the difference between people like Bernard Noble, Derek Harris and Roy Brown and people like John Paul Funes, Paul Allen and Rick Scott?

Money and influence. And the color of their skin.

The first three are black men, at the bottom of the highly-prejudicial economic caste system where all men certainly are NOT born equal. The other three are white men in cushy positions of influence and fortunate enough to have the money for top-notch legal representation – and perhaps, just perhaps, a little (conscious or unconscious) bigotry on the part of presiding judges.

They are not unlike WAYNE BRYANT, who was, like Harris, Brown and Noble, a low-income black man, popped with a life sentence under the state’s absurd “three strikes” laws for attempting to steal a pair of hedge clippers.

So, to what do we owe the unbelievable string of NON-PROSECUTIONS in the killing of Ronald Greene, the latest being the sentencing of former State Trooper KORY YORK to a six-month suspended sentence, a $1,000 fine and 160 hours of community service – for his part in the taking of another human being’s life?

Well, if I had to guess, I’d say it might have been the combined influence of the Louisiana State Police (LSP), the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association and a few key legislators.

If you’ve been following the 2019 killing of Greene, you’ve seen more than ample evidence of a COVERUP by LSP and you can bet the sheriffs’ association was pulling its own furtive maneuvers, especially since one of their own was among the gang that put Ronald Greene to death. And if you follow LouisianaVoice at all, you know that we have PREDICTED all along that LSP would CIRLE THE WAGONS on this and that the legislative committee empaneled to “investigate” Green’s death would do nothing of the sort.

And you can remember how the troopers initially tried to tell Greene’s family that he died when his vehicle hit a tree? That was an OUTRIGHT LIE as body cam footage “discovered” months later ultimately revealed.

Of course, attempts at elaborate coverups was not new to LSP, as LEAKED DOCUMENTS relating to academy cheating revealed about the same time as the Greene death probe was getting underway.

As ASHTON O’DWYER can attest, the manner in which the entire Ronald Greene matter was handled was indicative of LSP’s M.O. insofar as transparency with the public is concerned.

So, it seems to boil down to one simple truism: We have the best system of justice that money can buy.

Counting today, there are only four days remaining in LouisianaVoice’s October fundraiser.

I’m confident that you are happy that the month of shameless begging is almost over until next April* but the truth is, we still need your help in filling the void left by the cowardly Washington Post’s refusal to endorse any candidate in the all-important Nov. 5 election. (In case you didn’t recognize it, that was my feeble attempt at parody; we would never be so vain as to suggest we could ever step in for the Post, though its credo of “Democracy Dies in Darkness” has certainly taken a hit.)

Seriously, if you can see your way clear to do so, I humbly ask for your continued support. You may contribute by clicking on the yellow DONATE button to the right of this post and following directions to make a one-time contribution by credit card.

The person making the largest contribution will receive an original copy of Huey Long’s autobiography, Every Man A King, published in 1933 by the now defunct National Book Co. of New Orleans. It’s considered a collector’s item that any serious collector would love to add to his or her library. Also, everyone contributing $100 or more will be eligible for a drawing for an autographed (by Edwin Edwards) copy of Leo Honeycutt’s biography of the late governor. Finally, everyone contributing $50 or more will receive a signed copy of my newest book, The Mission.

Whether you feel you can help or not, please do NOT forget to vote!

*(It won’t be a true fundraiser, but I will be offering copies of my upcoming book, 101 Wrongful Convictions in Louisiana when it is published later this year or in early 2025.)

Rank no longer its privileges.

Well, at least insofar as the ability of lawyers who happen to also be legislators and their heretofore privilege of getting cases delayed simply by virtue of their part time duties as legislators.

For more than a century now, lawyers who double as legislators have enjoyed invoking a 1912 law that allowed them to get an automatic continuance simply by filing ex parte motions for extensions with the presiding judge that a scheduled case interfered with their legislative duties, including attendance at committee meetings as well as legislative sessions themselves.

No more.

The Louisiana Supreme Court, in a 6-1 DECISION, has ruled the practice is unconstitutional, bringing Louisiana with states like Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Nevada, Alaska and Vermont which had earlier clamped down on the practice that plaintiffs in the case said has come under growing abuse by legislator/lawyers.

The state high court’s decision most likely didn’t sit well with Sen. ALAN SEABAUGH and his law partner, Michael Melerine, Shreveport Republicans. They were, after all, the reason the law was challenged by Shreveport attorneys Joe Gregorio and J. Cole Sartin who said their client was unreasonably delayed a 2019 lawsuit after being hit by the two legislators’ client in an auto accident.

Gregorio said, “So now if they want a continuance because of legislative duties, they have to ask for a continuance like anyone else would and have a hearing on whether it is justified or not.”

Supreme Court Associate Justice Jay McCallum, the only member to cast the minority vote and himself a former legislator, nevertheless called the conduct of Seabaugh and Melerine in the case “repugnant.”

Associate Justice Jeff Hughes, in writing the majority opinion, said, “The constitution does not permit legislators who are also attorneys unchecked authority to continue any deadline whatsoever for any reason simply by virtue of their status as a legislator especially when doing so may not be in the best interest of their own client.

“Denying a court the power to decide matters historically considered as falling exclusively within the bailiwick of the judicial branch subverts the power of the judiciary in violation of the separation of powers doctrine,” he added.

Ironically, the legislator passed a bill to expand that privilege during the regular session earlier this year. Gov. Jeff Landry, saying he was uncomfortable with the “unchecked” manner of legislative continuances, vetoed the bill.

That appears to have put him at odds with his hand-picked successor for attorney general, Liz Murrill, who defended the old law and who disagreed with the Supreme Court’s ruling. “We are disappointed in the outcome but respect that the court has the authority to make that decision,” she said.

Senate President Cameron Henry (R-Metairie) said he was concerned that the ruling will disrupt the schedule for legislator-lawyers in the upcoming special session that Landry has called to overhaul the state’s tax laws.

“I’m definitely concerned that it will create a problem for members,” he said.

Law and Order isn’t just the name of a popular, long-running NBC cop show. It is a catchy three-word campaign slogan employed by every candidate for judge, district attorney and higher, all the way to and including president of the United States.

It’s a subject that resonates with voters and politicians who want to get themselves elected had better be quick to jump on board lest they be labeled as weak on crime.

Clay Higgins is certainly no exception as evidence by those cheesey VIDEOS he made while still employed as a low-level public relations director o the St. Landry Sheriff’s Office long before he ever ran for office. Seeing him decked out in his S.W.A.T. digs, you’d be excused for thinking that he was a legitimate tough guy willing and able to take on the world’s crime element single-handedly. The truth is a bit different, according to an article published by MOTHER JONESon Friday that paints a slightly different picture of the CAJUN JOHN WAYNE wannabe. He even took on the NFL over the issue of players kneeling during the National Anthem.

But not everyone who supposedly represents law and order actually lives by that credo:

• In Iowa, a 15-year-old girl accompanied officer Alec Veatch on a ride-along and upon returning to the police station around 2 a.m. Veatch, 24, sexually assaulted her in the station interview room – on camera. His punishment was 14 days in jail.
• Another 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by Joseph Palmer, a police officer in York, Pennsylvania. He was sentenced to probation. At least six other Pennsylvania police officers were similarly given only probation for sexual abuse of minors.
• Closer to home, New Orleans police officer Rodney Vicknair, 53, convinced a 14-year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted to go with him to the hospital for a rape kit. Instead, Vicknair himself sexually assaulted her. He would ultimately die in prison and the city of New Orleans would be hit with a million-dollar payout to the victim.
• David Higgins, 44, was a school resource officer in Kansas when he impregnated a 15-year-old sophomore.
• A Washington Post investigation found that no fewer than 1,800 state and local law enforcement officers were charged with child sexual abuse from 2005 through 2022. Almost 40 percent of those actually convicted never served a day in jail.
• Marc Dody was a Troy, Missouri, police officer when he was charged with statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl and was given a six-year sentence. He served only two years before being released. Within three months of his 2020 release, he was charged with sexually abusing another child. He was convicted in 2023, sentenced and released again in May 2024.

Many times, cops guilty of criminal activity AVOID JAIL TIME ALTOGETHER.

Slate was blunter and more to the point, calling sexual abuse of minors by cops THE QUIET EPIDEMIC OF PREDATORS IN UNIFORMS.

Nor is the abuse limited to cops.

• Tim Campbell, a Kentucky judge active in Republican politics, pleaded guilty in 2018 to 21 counts of rape, human trafficking, witness tampering, prostitution, unlawful transaction with a minor and sodomy. He received a 20-year sentence.
• In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, two judges, Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan were caught up in the “kids for cash” scandal in which they literally sold as many as 2,400 juveniles into a pair of privately-run youth homes in exchange for nearly $3 million in kickbacks. Conahan was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison and Ciavarella received a 28-year sentence.

Accordingly, all those pronouncements of “law and order” by political candidates should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Take Friday’s Mother Jones article about Higgins, for example.

The story noted that Higgins, who may be planning a U.S. Senate run in 2026 against incumbent Bill Cassidy, is a biking buddy of another “law and order” proponent, Leon Boudreaux, himself a former law enforcement officer convicted of a sex crime against a juvenile in New Mexico.

That story was also reported by a Lafayette TELEVISION STAION and the Lafayette DAILY ADVERTISER.

Then there is Jerod Prunty, another former cop buddy of Higgins, who was cited in the Mother Jones article. In 2019, he was arrested along with 19 others suspected of operating a sex-trafficking ring involving Chinese women who were reportedly forced to live in and perform sex acts at local massage parlors.

Still, Higgins puts on a public face of no-nonsense law and order, advocating severe punishment for offenders.

The ultimate irony? Higgins is expected to win reelection easily on November 5, making the constituents of his district (Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District) as the collective butts of a cruel joke.

Clay Higgins, second from right, clasps hands with former constable Leon Boudreaux. (Mother Jones)

Kindred Vets, the biker club founded by Leon Boudreaux (center). Clay Higgins is at front left. (Mother Jones)

I should’ve known better. Any time I agree with anything The Hayride posts, I oughta wait and pull back the curtain to see what’s on the other side first.

This time I didn’t and one of LouisianaVoice’s longtime readers was quick to point out where I (and Michael Lunsford) were wrong in our (brief) bipartisan criticism of that $11.2 million allocation to New Orleans and Company.

Before I go any further, let me point out that newspapers traditionally carry a one- or two- sentence to front page errors somewhere inside the publication. I feel my readers are entitled to a little more in the way of an explanation when I’m wrong.

The gist of Lunsford’s story – and my all-too quick-endorsement of his argument – was that the Louisiana Legislature was reckless at worse or overly generous at best in “awarding” the $11.2 million to the New Orleans non-governmental agency that promotes tourism and special events for New Orleans.

Turns out, as reader Bill Hammack was quick to point out, it wasn’t a “gift” or a grant at all.

“The $11.2 m is a statutory dedication of .97 cents of hotel tax,” Hammack wrote. In other words, the state collects the tax on hotel occupancy and at the end of the year, sends New Orleans and Company the proceeds it has collected for the past year on the organization’s behalf.

“Every Convention and Visitor Bureau in the state receives that income in their respective parishes,” Hammack explained, much like the proposed tax Denham Springs citizens will vote on in November for hotel occupancy here, the revenue to be used to fund pay raises for fire fighters and police.

“New Orleans happens to be a larger amount because it has more hotel rooms and more visitors,” Hammack said. “I think it is entirely reasonable that we would use tax dollars paid by out-of-town visitors to fund marketing and promotion, rather than the tax dollars of locals.

“Those promotional dollars provide a tremendous ROI (return on investment) for the state via additional sales tax revenue from all the other spending done by visitors…shopping, food, events, etc.”

Turns out Lunsford’s post, which I was too eager to endorse despite our bitter differences on his efforts to censor libraries, was somewhat reminiscent of a Baton Rouge radio station news director who, back in the 1970s, promoted a major investigative story he’d been developing and would be airing in a couple of hours.

When the time came, he broke the story of the “missing” I-10 exit ramps and the unaccounted millions of dollars that should have gone to constructing said ramps. He told his listeners (all half-dozen or so of them) in his best Ted Baxter voice that there was an exit 163 (Siegen Lane) and an exit 166 Highland Road, but no exits 164 or 165 and that he was hot on the trail to learning where the money for their construction went.

The poor guy wasn’t aware that the exit numbers corresponded to the mile markers along the interstate highways.

Lunsford (and I) had a valid point, I believe, about the exorbitant salaries paid the president and CEO of New Orleans and Company but we were both incorrect about the source of the $11.2 million.

I got egg on my face for jumping on the Lunsford bandwagon. Now the question is, will Lunsford admit his misrepresentation as well?