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• Ex-Miss USA Rima Fakih gets probation in DUI case

  May 9, 2012 10:47 AM

  HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (AP) - Rima Fakih, the first Arab-American to be crowned Miss USA, has been sentenced to probation and community service in a Michigan drunken driving case. The 26-year-old former beauty queen avoided the possibility of jail time during Wednesday's hearing in Highland Park, an enclave of Detroit.... more »

• Guilty plea in Thibodaux tire slashing case

  April 19, 2012 9:31 AM

  THIBODAUX, La. (AP) - One of the men accused of slashing the tires of Thibodaux Police vehicles parked outside the department last year has pleaded guilty. The Daily Comet reports that Jonathan Watkins pleaded guilty to 11 counts of property damage and will serve two years in jail. The plea... more »

• La. man gets prison in bankruptcy case

  April 19, 2012 6:51 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A Maurice man who was convicted of concealing bankruptcy assets has been sentenced to more than two years in prison. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty in Lafayette on Tuesday sentenced 52-year-old Thad Corey Theall to 27 months in prison and ordered him to repay $50,000 to... more »

• Ex-cop on death row discusses case with judge

  April 18, 2012 6:52 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A former New Orleans police officer who was sentenced to death for arranging a woman's killing in 1994 is distancing himself from a defense attorney's claim he has a serious mental impairment that rendered him incompetent to stand trial. Len Davis is representing himself during his... more »

• Lafayette Murder Case To Be Featured On National TV Play Video

  April 12, 2012 12:15 AM

  A Lafayette murder case will be featured on national television this weekend. Robert Stanley was shot and killed during a home invasion and robbery back in 2005. The case went unsolved for nearly three years, until DNA evidence helped detectives make a break in the case. The ins and outs... more »

• Holden couple sentenced in cruelty case

  April 11, 2012 8:21 AM

  LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) - A state judge has sentenced a Holden couple to prison terms following their convictions on cruelty charges such as forcing a child to sleep while shackled to a desk. Livingston Parish prosecutor Charlotte Herbert tells The Advocate 35-year-old Donald E. Miller III and 34-year-old Lisa Stogner... more »

• Prosecutors asked for SS number in murder case

  April 5, 2012 11:19 AM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - State Judge Mike Canaday says prosecutors must release a victim's Social Security number to defense counsel for a Lake Charles man accused of murder. The American Press reports 49-year-old Jon Wray Baumberger allegedly killed his wife, 48-year-old Treasa Mae Williams, on Dec. 5, 2010, at... more »

• Sentencing in fraud case delayed

  April 5, 2012 11:04 AM

  GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - A judge has agreed to delay sentencing to allow a Louisiana homebuilder more time to come up with $1 million to repay the Small Business Administration. Victor Planetta, whose business is based in Slidell, La., had pleaded guilty in November to making false statements for money... more »

• DWI Case Could Shed Light on FBI's Investigation in DA's Office Play Video

  March 27, 2012 7:27 PM

  An FBI investigation into the Lafayette District Attorney's Office could be taking shape, as several indicators point to the handling of DWI and OWI cases. KATC first reported about the FBI executing a search warrant earlier this month. District Attorney Mike Harson confirmed that search took place on February... more »

• Jury selection begins in rape, slaying case

  March 27, 2012 8:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Jury selection is under way in the trial of a convicted Baton Rouge sex offender accused of raping and drowning a 29-year-old Zachary woman in April 2010. The Advocate reports 45-year-old Franklin Meredith Jr. is charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder in the slaying... more »

• Jury convicts man in rape-kidnap case

  March 22, 2012 10:53 AM

  LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) - A Livingston Parish jury has found 25-year-old Allen Lee Martin of Ponchatoula guilty of aggravated rape and related crimes in connection with a February 2011 attack on an Albany woman. The jury of 10 women and two men also convicted Martin Wednesday on charges of aggravated... more »

• Jury convicts man in rape-kidnap case

  March 22, 2012 10:31 AM

  LIVINGSTON, La. (AP) - A Livingston Parish jury has found 25-year-old Allen Lee Martin of Ponchatoula guilty of aggravated rape and related crimes in connection with a February 2011 attack on an Albany woman. The jury of 10 women and two men also convicted Martin Wednesday on charges of aggravated... more »

• Man sentenced in counterfeit case

  March 21, 2012 9:12 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A Gonzales man must report to federal prison April 23 to begin a one-year sentence for using a counterfeit court document to obtain a fortune from members of his wife's family. The document bore the forged signature of deceased Chief U.S. District Judge Ralph E.... more »

• Arrested lawyer staying on case

  March 8, 2012 10:19 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - An East Baton Rouge Parish public defender arrested last month for allegedly trying to enter the state penitentiary at Angola with marijuana will continue to represent a man accused of killing two women and wounding a third at a Baton Rouge business in 2009. Fred... more »

• New Orleans Case Puts Scrutiny on NFL Bounty Pay

  March 3, 2012 7:43 PM

  The revelations were shocking to those outside the NFL: A team paid bounties to knock opponents out of the game, including some of its biggest stars. For those who suit up, however, it sounds more like the long-accepted cost of doing business in a brutal sport/ Atlanta Falcons star Roddy... more »

• People Close to Case: Gulf Oil Spill Trial Delayed

  February 26, 2012 3:28 PM

  A federal trial over the nation's worst offshore oil disaster has been delayed for a week to allow more time for settlement talks, according to two people close to the case. The two people told The Associated Press the decision was made Sunday during a conference call between parties in... more »

• Court to hear case over Miss. pumps project

  February 9, 2012 10:43 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Mississippi levee board is asking a federal appeals court to revive a $220 million flood control project that the Environmental Protection Agency vetoed in 2008, claiming it would harm wetlands and wildlife. A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New... more »

• Ex-official pleads not guilty in corruption case

  January 31, 2012 5:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A former Jefferson Parish official has pleaded not guilty to concealing federal crimes in a case spawned by a corruption probe that already has resulted in charges against a former parish president. Although 51-year-old Timothy Whitmer pleaded not guilty Monday to one count of misprision of... more »

• Key ruling expected in Philly priest-abuse case

  January 25, 2012 10:11 AM

  PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Will a Catholic monsignor be left to defend the sins of the Philadelphia archdiocese in the child sex-abuse scandal? A judge Wednesday may rule on whether prosecutors can use dozens of old priest-abuse allegations at Monsignor William Lynn's upcoming child-endangerment trial. Defense lawyers insist Lynn should only... more »

• Judge pares down fees for attorneys in BP case

  January 20, 2012 9:46 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that people pursuing their Gulf of Mexico oil spill claims against BP outside of federal court do not have to pay fees to hundreds of lawyers working on behalf of about 120,000 claimants fighting the oil giant in court. U.S. District... more »

• Former mayor taking case to the La. Supreme Court

  January 17, 2012 10:17 AM

  MONROE, La. (AP) - Former Richwood Mayor Ed Harris is asking the Louisiana Supreme Court to overturn his malfeasance conviction for illegally writing checks to himself and other employees during the last hours of his administration. Defense attorney Charles Kincade tells The News-Star that the district and appeal courts failed... more »

• City of Pineville sentenced in illegal discharge case

  January 4, 2012 12:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The city of Pineville was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana in Alexandria, stemming from an illegal discharge from a pumping station that occurred in September 2008. The city entered a guilty plea back in October 2011. Following the heavy rainfall... more »

• Another suit filed in truck stop tiger case

  January 4, 2012 11:02 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The owner of a Grosse Tete truck stop has filed suit against the state of Louisiana and Iberville Parish in a last-ditch effort to keep a 550-pound tiger on display at the facility. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, comes two months after a Baton Rouge judge... more »

• Katrina-Flood Lawsuit,130 Case against Army Corps to be Heard in Court

  December 12, 2011 11:48 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A lawsuit alleging the Army Corps of Engineers ruined property in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward after it built a shipping channel that turned into a conduit for storm surge during Hurricane Katrina is to be heard in court this week. A trial... more »

• Wrongful Cremation Case Ends Without Trial Play Video

  October 31, 2011 11:25 PM

  It's been two years since two bodies were mixed up at Lafayette General Medical Center, ending with a wrongful cremation. On Monday that case came to a close in the 15th Judicial Court in Lafayette. In October 2009, 58-year-old Ruby Joseph died of a heart attack at Lafayette General.... more »

• Possible Lead in 7 Year Cold Case Play Video

  October 6, 2011 11:37 PM

  An arrest could be made soon in the seven year murder investigation of 62-year-old Carrie Billeaud. The New Iberia Sheriff's Office confirms it has a person of interest, and have presented its case to the District Attorney's Office. But as of Thursday, Sheriff Louis Ackal said this is still an... more »

• Woman sentenced in insurance murder fraud case

  September 23, 2011 6:23 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A 32-year-old woman has been sentenced to five years for her involvement in an insurance scheme that led to a murder in 2004. U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon on Thursday sentenced Maria Samuels who pleaded guilty. The scheme involved her brother and a murder-for-hire... more »

• Testimony under way in Angola 5 case

  September 7, 2011 10:18 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. (AP) - A prosecutor told a jury that Angola inmate Robert G. Carley was a leader in an escape plot that led to the death of prison security Capt. David C. Knapps nearly 12 years ago. Tommy Block, lead prosecutor in the so-called Angola 5 murder trials,... more »

• Woman sentenced in identity theft, tax crime case

  September 7, 2011 6:39 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Tickfaw woman convicted of identity theft and tax crimes has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten says U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on Tuesday sentenced 31-year-old Tarshia McGary who was found guilty of falsifying Social... more »

• Appeals court to hear Texas terror-financing case

  September 1, 2011 5:55 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Five members of what was once the nation's largest Muslim charity are asking a federal appeals court to overturn their convictions and prison sentences for funneling millions of dollars to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is... more »

• Suspects in Child Rape Case Claim Innocence Play Video

  June 9, 2011 11:57 PM

  Two of the eight suspects in a child molestation case in St. Landry Parish were released on $300,000 bond each this week. Now suspects Barry Giglio and Marla Giglio are pleading not guilty to the crime. State Police call this case a heinous crime, saying they believe eight adults... more »

• Man Convicted in 1989 Rape Case

  May 13, 2011 9:03 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A jury in Lafayette has convicted a man of raping an 18-year-old girl over 20 years ago. Charles Paul Celestine faces a mandatory life prison sentence after being found guilty Thursday of aggravated rape. The victim was attacked while walking to her home on Aug. 29,... more »

• Mom Arrested in Cancer Fraud Case

  April 22, 2011 11:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A mom who created an elaborate lie by telling people her child had cancer in order to steal money from them has been charged with multiple counts of theft, an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office news release said. Jacinta K. Millikin, 42, told Wildwood... more »

• Change of Venue Motion Denied in Manslaughter Case

  April 22, 2011 11:36 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - The attorney for a man accused of killing his girlfriend last summer says he will continue to pursue attempts to move the upcoming trial out of Lafayette. On Thursday, state District Judge Patrick Michot denied a request for a change of venue from attorney Edward Colbert.... more »

• Sentencing Date Set in Town of Ball Fraud Case

  April 18, 2011 7:59 AM

  ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - A federal prosecutor is asking U.S. District Judge Dee Drell to give lesser sentences to four town of Ball officials who cooperated in a disaster-fraud investigation involving former Mayor Roy Hebron. In motions filed Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria Jernigan asks Drell for leniency in sentencing... more »

• Ex-Gueydan Fire Chief Sentenced in Child Porn Case

  April 16, 2011 3:19 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - The former fire chief for the town of Gueydan has been sentenced in federal court for attempting to receive child pornography. U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley said Friday that U.S. District Judge Rebecca Doherty sentenced 43-year-old Lindsey Troy LeBlanc to 63 months in prison for his... more »

• Jury Search Resumes in Jackson Doctor Case

  April 7, 2011 11:51 AM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - With lawyers raising a new theory involving money and its role in Michael Jackson's death, a judge is summoning a third panel of prospective jurors for the involuntary manslaughter case against Dr. Conrad Murray. Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, who has already screened 340 prospects and... more »

• Jury in racketeering case to return Tuesday

  February 17, 2011 8:13 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal jury will resume deliberating Tuesday in the trial for a former Louisiana lawmaker charged in a plot to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money earmarked for charitable and educational programs. Jurors deliberated for more than nine hours Wednesday and Thursday without... more »

• Cold Case: Clinton Man Booked in 1997 Rape Case

  February 15, 2011 9:08 AM

  CLINTON, La. (AP) - East Feliciana Parish sheriff's deputies have arrested a Clinton man after reopening a 1997 rape case last year. Sgt. Kevin Garig says that 46-year-old Gary Miller surrendered at the parish jail on Friday after deputies got an arrest warrant accusing Miller of aggravated rape. Garig says... more »

• Former Opelousas Council Member/Teacher Sentenced for Child Porn

  December 1, 2010 7:54 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - After receiving a 14-year prison sentence on a child pornography charge, Larry Caillier II told a federal judge that he was innocent and that his attorneys had persuaded him to accept a plea deal. Caillier, a former Opelousas High School teacher, was accused of receiving a... more »

• Mississippi Man Arrested in Louisiana Drug Case

  November 11, 2010 8:27 AM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Authorities say U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Mississippi man at a bus station in Lake Charles, La., after they found 35 pounds of marijuana in his luggage. According to Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, agents conducting a canine search of the luggage compartment found the... more »

• Details of Quadruple Slaying

  November 10, 2010 11:46 AM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Lee Roy Williams, 51, pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder Tuesday, hours after a Calcasieu Parish grand jury indicted him on the charges. State District Judge Kent Savoie imposed four consecutive life sentences, a term agreed to by prosecutors and Williams' defense counsel.... more »

• Judge's Son's Trial Postponed, wants AG Off Case

  October 27, 2010 12:28 PM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - The trial of a judge's son has been postponed after the defendant hired a new lawyer who wants the state attorney general's office off the case. Wilford D. Carter II has pleaded not guilty to seven misdemeanor offenses but his trial was delayed Monday after... more »

• Louisiana Judge Ordered Off Attempted Murder Case

  October 22, 2010 10:51 AM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - State District Judge Mike Canaday ordered Judge Wilford Carter removed from attempted murder cases pending against four men accused of shooting at a police lieutenant whom Carter has publicly criticized. Canaday's ruling came Wednesday during a hearing at which Lake Charles Police Lt. Arnold Bellow... more »

• Jan. trial set for racketeering case

  October 21, 2010 9:38 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A new trial date has been set for the racketeering case against former state Rep. Renee Gill Pratt and longtime political operative Mose Jefferson. An order issued Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle reschedules the start of the trial for Jan. 31, 2011. The trial... more »

• Man pleads guilty in human trafficking case

  October 20, 2010 10:03 PM

  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A man from Uzbekistan who was accused of running a 14-state human trafficking ring in Kansas City has pleaded guilty to four charges under a plea agreement in which he will serve at least 10 years in federal prison. Abrorkhodja Askarkhodjaev, 31, was facing more... more »

• 5 indicted in DeSoto Council on Aging case

  October 13, 2010 9:54 PM

  MANSFIELD, La. (AP) - A DeSoto Parish grand jury on Wednesday indicted the former director of the DeSoto Council on Aging, three members of her family and a board member on charges they took thousands of dollars from the social-service agency and used the money for themselves. The grand jury... more »

• 71-year-old woman indicted in murder-for-hire case

  October 7, 2010 9:39 PM

  SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - A Caddo Parish grand jury on Thursday indicted a 71-year-old woman accused of paying someone $1,000 to kill her husband so she could sell his land. Bobbie Loretta Luttrell faces one count of first-degree murder in the July 25 death of her husband, Ernest Luttrell, 73.... more »

• Panel: Government Thwarted Worst-Case Scenario on Spill

  October 6, 2010 11:55 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House blocked efforts by federal scientists to tell the public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could have been. That finding comes from a panel appointed by President Barack Obama to investigate the worst offshore oil spill in history. In documents released Wednesday, the... more »

• Calcasieu Parish judge Pulled From Murder Case

  October 4, 2010 12:16 PM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - A Calcasieu Parish judge has been pulled from a murder case because of what another judge called the "untenable discord" between him and prosecutors in the case. Judge Robert Wyatt rejected prosecutors' allegations that Judge Wilford Carter could not be fair or impartial about 33-year-old... more »

• 2 Men Indicted in Fatal Home-Invasion Case

  October 1, 2010 8:46 AM

  ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - A Rapides Parish grand jury indicted two Alexandria men in the Aug. 2 home invasion where the homeowner shot and killed one of the alleged would-be thieves. The Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office says that the grand jury on Thursday charged 29-year-old Marlon Terrell Chaney and... more »

• New Judge Assigned in Angola Five Case

  September 30, 2010 11:04 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. (AP) - West Feliciana Parish officials say a new judge has been assigned to preside over the trials of five inmates accused of killing a security officer during an escape attempt in December 1999. An order signed earlier this week by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine... more »

• Greek Company to Pay $700,000 in Pollution Case

  September 30, 2010 7:22 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Greek shipping company has been ordered to pay $700,000 in criminal penalties for violating federal pollution laws. Stanships Inc. of Athens, Greece, pleaded guilty in June to charges that one of its ships knowingly discharged oil in the Gulf of Mexico and falsified ship records... more »

• Judge won't separate trials in burned body case

  September 28, 2010 9:27 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge has refused to order separate trials in the case against five current or former New Orleans police officers charged in a man's fatal shooting after Hurricane Katrina. Former officer David Warren is charged with shooting 31-year-old Henry Glover before his body turned up... more »

• Shreveport man arrested in Virginia runaway case

  September 23, 2010 11:05 AM

  SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies have arrested a Shreveport man for numerous sex crimes involving a Virginia runaway. Sheriff Steve Prator says 25-year-old Kevin Lunsford was arrested Wednesday at his home where he was found with the 14-year-old girl after deputies received a tip about the teenager's... more »

• Ex-Cop Pleads 'no contest' in Brutality Case

  September 23, 2010 4:38 AM

  OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - Rather than face trial for malfeasance in office, a former Eunice Police officer has entered a plea of no contest. Twenty-eight-year-old Micah C.Z. Arceneaux had been scheduled to go on trial later this week on charges of malfeasance and aggravated battery. His no contest plea, while... more »

• Ex-cop pleads 'no contest' in brutality case

  September 22, 2010 9:03 PM

  OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - Rather than face trial for malfeasance in office, a former Eunice Police officer has entered a plea of no contest. Twenty-eight-year-old Micah C.Z. Arceneaux had been scheduled to go on trial later this week on charges of malfeasance and aggravated battery. His no contest plea, while... more »

• Judge to Rule on Satonia Small Case

  September 21, 2010 9:46 AM

  SHREVEPORT, La. - A Caddo district judge will rule Sept. 30 on whether to acquit a Shreveport woman convicted of murder after her 6-year-old daughter died in an apartment fire while home alone with another child. Defense attorney Christopher Hatch filed the post-verdict motion Monday arguing that Satonia Small did... more »

• Attorneys Appointed in Quadruple Slaying Case

  September 17, 2010 9:58 AM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Defense attorney Richard Bourke, director of the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center in New Orleans, has been appointed to represent 52-year-old Lee Roy Williams in a Calcasieu Parish quadruple slaying case. The appointment came during a Thursday court hearing. There are reports that Lake Charles defense... more »

• Bahamas drops charges in Travolta extortion case

  September 6, 2010 9:41 PM

  NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) - A judge in the Bahamas dismissed charges Monday against two people accused of trying to extort money from John Travolta after the actor decided he no longer wanted to face the pain of a new trial stemming from the death of his teenage son on the... more »

• Jury deadlocks in actress's LA marriage fraud case

  September 3, 2010 10:05 PM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal judge declared a mistrial Friday after jurors told him deliberations had grown hostile in the marriage fraud case of Mexican-born actress Fernanda Romero and her husband. The couple were accused of entering a sham marriage designed to allow the soap opera star to get... more »

• Ex-state Sen. Charles Jones convicted in tax case

  August 23, 2010 5:20 PM

  SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - A federal jury on Monday found former state Sen. Charles D. Jones guilty of tax evasion and other tax charges. Jurors took about three hours before convicting Jones, 60, of Monroe, of filing two false tax returns and one count of tax evasion. Jones, who's also... more »

• State worker pleads guilty in disaster food case

  August 19, 2010 9:33 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A 50-year-old woman accused of fraudulently obtaining and using disaster in a lot of trouble. Conand friends after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike, has pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of government money. Teresa Hawkins, of Baldwin, is the former parish manager of the... more »

• New not guilty pleas in post-Katrina case

  August 19, 2010 9:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Five current and former New Orleans police officers have pleaded not guilty to a new indictment by a federal grand jury earlier this month. The Times-Picayune reports the officers entered their new pleas on Thursday. The new indictment altered only one charge against former officer David... more »

• Former Officer Sentenced in Civil Rights Case

  August 19, 2010 9:23 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A federal magistrate judge has sentenced a former Patterson police officer, convicted in September 2009 of a misdemeanor civil rights violation, to one year in federal prison. A jury convicted 23-year-old Jeffrey Jermaine Prince for sexually assaulting a woman in May 2008 when she arrived at... more »

• Woman Gets House Arrest in Murder for Hire Case

  August 19, 2010 9:16 AM

  OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - A 46-year-old Eunice woman has been sentenced to three years' house arrest after agreeing to plead no contest to charges of attempting to hire a hit man to kill her estranged husband and his new girlfriend. State District Judge Alonzo Harris, in handing down the sentence... more »

• 2 Enter Not Guilty Pleas in Sex Cases

  August 17, 2010 8:53 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Two people recently indicted in unrelated federal child-sex cases have pleaded not guilty in Lafayette federal court. Gueydan Fire Chief Lindsey Troy LeBlanc pleaded innocent Monday to two counts of attempting to receive child pornography and one count of attempting to coerce a minor to engage... more »

• Rapper Juvenile pleads guilty in La. drug case

  August 13, 2010 9:55 PM

  CHALMETTE, La. (AP) - New Orleans rapper Juvenile has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in Louisiana. The St. Bernard Parish sheriff's office says the 34-year-old, whose real name is Terius Gray, entered the plea Thursday. The rapper and an aquaintance were arrested Feb. 25. He received a... more »

• Judge in Angola 5 case resigns

  August 13, 2010 9:49 PM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. (AP) - The judge hearing the trials of five Louisiana State Penitentiary inmates accused of killing a security officer nearly 11 years ago has resigned from the case, citing family health issues. Several defense attorneys told The Advocate they were shocked when retired Orleans Parish District Judge... more »

• First sentenced in Mobile steroid conspiracy case

  August 13, 2010 9:33 PM

  MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A pharmacist convicted of participating in a nationwide conspiracy to illegally sell anabolic steroids made in Mobile has been sentenced to four years in prison. J. Michael Bennett, who was the supervising pharmacist at Applied Pharmacy Services, was the first to be sentenced from a group... more »

• Alabama grand jury gets drug case against Russell

  August 11, 2010 8:52 PM

  MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A judge sent the drug possession case against former Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell to a grand jury Wednesday despite testimony that the codeine drink found at Russell's home belonged to a longtime friend. District Judge Charles McKnight questioned the credibility of the testimony given by... more »

• Death Penalty Not Intended in Katrina Fatal Shooting Case

  August 6, 2010 1:50 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Justice Department doesn't intend to seek the death penalty against a former New Orleans police officer charged with fatally shooting a man in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. A court filing Thursday discloses that decision in the case against David Warren, who allegedly shot and killed 31-year-old... more »

• Judge Seals Evidence in Federal Sex Case

  July 23, 2010 9:12 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A federal magistrate judge has sealed evidence in a federal sex-crime case involving a former private school counselor. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hill Thursday granted a joint motion filed by the government and defense, sealing a 24-page exhibit containing e-mails allegedly exchanged between Hargrave and a... more »

• Judge Refuses to Withdraw From Drilling Ban Case

  July 19, 2010 8:28 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge who overturned the Obama administration's initial six-month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling has refused to disqualify himself from the case. Several environmental groups had asked U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman to withdraw from the case because of his investments in several oil and... more »

• This Year's First Case of West Nile Virus in a Human

  July 15, 2010 6:22 PM

  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has reported the state's first case of West Nile virus in a human in 2010. The case was confirmed July 14 in East Baton Rouge Parish. Health officials characterize West Nile infections three ways: neuroinvasive, West Nile fever and asymptomatic. A neuroinvasive illness... more »

• White Castle Mayor Pleads in Racketeering Case

  July 14, 2010 8:23 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - White Castle Mayor Maurice Brown, one of three public officials indicted in a federal investigation, has pleaded not guilty to 13 criminal counts, including racketeering and conspiracy. He also faces four counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. If convicted on all... more »

• Boston Judge Cuts Penalty in Song-Sharing Case

  July 10, 2010 4:59 PM

  BOSTON (AP) - A federal judge on Friday drastically trimmed a $675,000 verdict against a Boston University graduate student who was found liable for illegally downloading and sharing 30 songs online, saying the jury damage award against a person who gained no financial benefit from his copyright infringement is "unconstitutionally... more »

• Appeals Court to Hear Drilling Moratorium Case

  July 8, 2010 6:50 AM

  s NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal appeals court is set to hear the Justice Department's bid to delay a judge's decision to overturn a six-month deepwater drilling moratorium. A three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday from lawyers on... more »

• Judge Orders Documents Released in Rangers' Case

  June 28, 2010 8:32 PM

  DALLAS (AP) - A bankruptcy judge has ordered Major League Baseball to turn over certain documents to some of the Texas Rangers' angry creditors trying to block the team's sale. But U.S Bankruptcy Judge Stacey Jernigan on Monday also ordered creditors to give documents to the team and baseball commissioner.... more »

• Rapper Lil Wayne Enters Plea Deal in Arizona Case

  June 21, 2010 8:24 PM

  YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - Rapper Lil Wayne could avoid jail time in Arizona on drug and weapon charges after entering a plea agreement with Yuma County prosecutors. During a change of plea hearing Friday in which he appeared via video from a New York jail, the 27-year-old Grammy winner pleaded... more »

• Documents: BP Estimated 4.2M Gallons in Worst Case

  June 20, 2010 6:38 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Newly released internal documents show BP PLC estimated 4.2 million gallons of oil a day could gush from a damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico if all equipment restricting the flow was removed and company models were wrong. Democratic Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey released the... more »

• Calif. Marine Released in Iraqi War Crimes Case

  June 14, 2010 9:53 PM

  SAN DIEGO (AP) - A Camp Pendleton Marine whose murder conviction was recently overturned was released Monday after serving four years in prison for a major Iraqi war crimes case, his lawyer said. An emotional Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III vowed to be the best Marine he could be while he... more »

• Feds Indict Man, Woman in Health Care Fraud Case

  June 6, 2010 11:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A 44-year-old Franklin man and a woman who worked for him have been indicted on charges of health care fraud. U.S. Attorney Stan Lemelle says a grand jury handed up a 10-count indictment on Thursday against Ray A. Kirt and 57-year-old Peggy Mingo faces six... more »

• Sentencing Set in Attorney Theft Case

  May 25, 2010 9:27 AM

  MONROE, La. (AP) - A former Monroe attorney who pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from his clients will be sentenced next month. Bernard Grenrood pleaded guilty in March to six counts of theft in excess of $500 and was supposed to have been sentenced Monday. However, state District... more »

• Tax Evasion Case Resumes

  May 25, 2010 8:55 AM

  SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - Jury selection continues in former state Sen. Charles Jones' federal tax evasion trial. The process began May 10 in Monroe, but U.S. District Judge Robbie James granted a motion to move the trial the next day. In January 2008, a federal grand jury indicted Jones, of... more »

• Sentencing Set in Extortion Case

  May 18, 2010 9:54 AM

  MONROE, La. (AP) - Mike Thompson, the former director of the Poverty Point Reservoir District, is scheduled to be sentenced June 16. The News-Star reports Thompson was found guilty Jan. 20 of extorting state resources for his personal benefit. A jury deliberated for nearly four hours before convicting Thompson on... more »

• 3 Plead in Food Stamp Case

  May 13, 2010 9:30 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - The former director of the St. Mary Parish 911 district and two former state employees have pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges. Marich Anderson, the former 911 director, and the two former state employees admitted to using fraudulently obtained disaster food stamp cards for purchases in... more »

• New Iberia's Cold Case Division New Addition

  April 29, 2010 12:24 PM

  NEW IBERIA, La. (AP) - Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal has hired a retired state police investigator to head up the department's cold case division. Ackal tells The Advocate that Richard Fleming started last week by first investigating the 2004 homicide of Carrie Billeaud, a 62-year-old New Iberia woman... more »

• $10,000 Reward Offered in Murder Case of Timothy Falgout

  April 21, 2010 2:29 PM

  The Lafayette Parish Sheriffs Office has been contacted by the local Pizza Hut in Lafayette (American Pizza Company) who advised, they are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone that gives Law Enforcement information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for the Murder of... more »

• Update to Senator Landrieu Phone Tampering Case

  March 26, 2010 5:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Federal prosecutors filed reduced charges Friday against conservative activist James O'Keefe and three others who were accused of trying to tamper with the phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office. The new charges are contained in a bill of information, which can only be filed... more »

• Iberia Parish Deputies Make Arrest In Home Burglary Case

  March 16, 2010 1:37 PM

  On March 15, 2010 at approximately 07:00 p.m. Detectives with the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Jake Trahan age 24, for burglary of a residence on the 700 Block of Creighton Drive New Iberia. The burglary initially took place on March 12th 2010; however Detectives were able to locate the... more »

• UPDATE: Possible Sentences In Lake Charles Child Abuse Case

  March 11, 2010 4:30 PM

  District Attorney John DeRosier says the two counts of second degree cruelty to a juvenile charges could carry as many as 40 years each. The cruelty to a juvenile charges could put Jaime Day in prison for 10 years each. All totaled, the maximum sentence could be around 330 years.... more »

• Judge Rules Against CITGO in 2006 Lake Charles Oil Spill Case

  March 9, 2010 12:05 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - A federal judge has shot down efforts by CITGO Petroleum to limit the fines and special conditions it could face in a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit over a June 2006 oil spill at the company's Lake Charles refinery. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard... more »

• Animal Control Confirms Rabies Case In St. Martin Parish

  February 26, 2010 6:48 PM

  (St. Martinville, La.)- Yesterday morning at approximately 11:00 a.m., a resident in Parks called Animal Control to say that he observed a skunk in his front yard that appeared to be ill. When authorities arrived on scene, they located the skunk a short distance away from where it was originally... more »

• Supreme Court Won't Hear Case On Court Discrimination Complaint

  January 26, 2010 12:28 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The state Supreme Court won't hear the case of a white man whose murder conviction was reinstated after a judge threw it out, ruling that Lafayette Parish discriminated against blacks on grand juries. Randolph J. Matthieu is serving a life sentence for shooting 34-year-old Norris Foreman,... more »