KATC.com

Tagged News

• One School is Taking Discipline Issues to the Courtroom Play Video

  March 7, 2013 6:23 PM

  One Acadiana high school is taking a unique approach to discipline students. Their own peers are deciding how they should be punished. Teen Court is an alternative to school board policy. It keep students in the classroom and avoids school suspension or after school detention. Every Tuesday and... more »

• St. Helena police jury rejects plan to cut workers

  October 11, 2012 8:50 AM

  GREENSBURG, La. (AP) - The St. Helena Parish Police Jury declined to throw its support behind a member's proposal to economize by dismissing three parish employees and cutting a fourth from five days a week to three days a week. Jury President Jule Charles Wascom had proposed that Grants Administrator... more »

• Jury convicts man in girlfriend's death

  October 5, 2012 10:07 AM

  CLINTON, La. (AP) - An East Feliciana Parish jury deliberated less than 45 minutes before convicting a Roseland man of second-degree murder in the death of his estranged girlfriend. The Advocate reports 34-year-old Antwoene Irving was found guilty Thursday. State District Judge George H. Ware Jr. set sentencing for Nov.... more »

• West Feliciana Police Jury hires abstractor

  August 21, 2012 9:39 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. (AP) - The West Feliciana Parish Police Jury has voted to hire an abstractor to determine if the public has a claim to property in the old town of Bayou Sara that the family of jury President Ricky Lambert says it owns. The Advocate reports the question... more »

• Grand Jury to Decide if Enough Evidence in Shunick Case Play Video

  July 18, 2012 3:21 PM

  A grand jury will meet today to decide if there's enough evidence to indict Brandon Scott Lavergne, the man charged with aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder of Mickey Shunick. Brandon Lavergne will not make the walk from the Lafayette Parish Jail to the courthouse today. District Attorney Mike Harson... more »

• Jury to get airline exec's child porn case

  May 21, 2012 9:06 AM

  BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Attorneys are scheduled to make their final appeals to a federal jury in the trial of the founder of a South Texas cargo airline on trial on child pornography charges. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday afternoon in Brownsville in the trial of Robert Hedrick, who... more »

• Evangeline police jury leaves courthouse

  May 15, 2012 9:04 AM

  VILLE PLATTE, La. (AP) - The Evangeline Parish Police Jury has agreed to move its offices from the courthouse to the parish-owned Medicaid building in order to free up space in the courthouse for the district attorney. The Advocate reports Parish Engineer Ronnie Landreneau estimated the moving expenses would amount... more »

• Police jury to accept bids to improve levees

  May 15, 2012 7:06 AM

  ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) - The Rapides Parish Police Jury has authorized taking bids on one of what should be many projects to improve levees on the Red River. The Town Talk reports Bayou Bouef Diversion Canal Improvements is an approximately $700,000 project designed to remove silt from the canal and... more »

• Grand jury indicts man in couple's death

  April 2, 2012 8:33 AM

  OPELOUSAS, La. (AP) - A St. Landry Parish grand jury has indicted Warren Ray Gautreaux in the January 2006 slayings of an elderly Eunice couple. The Advocate reports Gautreaux was charged Thursday with the first-degree murders of 83-year-old Youric Courville and 70-year-old Mary Courville. The Eunice Police Department arrested Gautreaux... more »

• Anonymous jury planned for Lil Boosie trial

  March 30, 2012 9:15 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The rarely used practice of an anonymous jury will be used for the high-profile first-degree murder trial of rapper Torrence "Lil Boosie" Hatch, court officials say. Hatch, accused in an alleged murder-for-hire in 2009, is scheduled to begin April 30. The Advocate reported. East Baton... more »

• Anonymous jury planned for Lil Boosie trial

  March 29, 2012 10:34 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Court officials say the rarely utilized practice of an anonymous jury will be used for the high-profile first-degree murder trial of rapper Torrence "Lil Boosie" Hatch. The Advocate reports the trial of Hatch, accused in an alleged murder-for-hire in 2009, is scheduled to begin April... more »

• Teen book with manslaughter to face grand jury

  March 29, 2012 9:58 AM

  NAPOLEONVILLE, La. (AP) - A state district judge has ruled that Assumption Parish sheriff's investigators had probable cause to arrest a 15-year-old Dorseyville boy on a manslaughter count in a March 8 fatal stabbing of another teen. The Advocate reports Wednesday's ruling by Judge Ralph Tureau means the teen will... more »

• East Carroll jury asks for review of airport plan

  March 27, 2012 9:44 AM

  LAKE PROVIDENCE, La. (AP) - The East Carroll Parish Police Jury has asked a Monroe engineering firm to review a proposed plan and provide cost analysis for a project at Byerley Airport that includes cutting down almost 300 trees to bring it up to Federal Aviation Administration Code. For months... 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 finds man guilty of manslaughter

  March 23, 2012 9:51 AM

  LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - A Calcasieu Parish jury has found David A. Nelson guilty of manslaughter, a lesser offense than the one he was charged with. The American Press reports Nelson, originally charged with second-degree murder, threw the punch that fatally injured 19-year-old Chad Heath on March 28, 2009,... 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 »

• Police jury convention draws events to Terrebonne

  March 19, 2012 5:43 AM

  HOUMA, La. (AP) - Organizers of two statewide events are eyeing the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center as a potential venue thanks to the success of last month's Police Jury Association convention, officials said. Parish officials tell the Courier that The Justices of the Peace and Constables 2013 Convention and the Louisiana... more »

• West Feliciana jury districts approved

  August 15, 2011 10:06 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE, La. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Justice has precleared the redistricting plan for the seven-member West Feliciana Parish Police Jury. Jury Secretary Sheila Smith tells The Advocate the police jury received a letter Thursday from federal officials saying it had no objection to changes to the police... more »

• Grand Jury to Investigate Evangeline Audit

  April 18, 2011 7:44 AM

  VILLE PLATTE, La. (AP) - District Attorney Trent Brignac says an Evangeline Parish grand jury will meet in June to determine if criminal charges will be filed after a state audit showed improprieties in Police Jury operations. According to the audit, conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office, Police Jury... more »

• State Releases Audit of Evangeline Parish Police Jury

  April 11, 2011 11:25 PM

  The Evangeline Parish Police Jury is undergoing a major overhaul, including possible layoffs, after the Louisiana Legislative Auditor released a Compliance Audit on Monday. Police Jury President Eric Soileau says he believes wrongdoings have been going on within the Police Jury for several years now. "They had some... 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 »

• Convicted Killer Threatens Jury, Faces Death

  March 27, 2011 11:38 AM

  GRETNA, La. (AP) - A 28-year-old Jefferson Parish man convicted of killing a store clerk in 2005 opted to take the stand during the sentencing phase of his trial and he told the jury he'd like to kill them all. He told one juror he wanted to cut his head... 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 »

• Jury Convicts New Orleans Cop on 2 Counts

  February 16, 2011 9:01 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Henry Hollins, a veteran New Orleans police officer who prosecutors said carried a "portable sex kit" in the trunk of his cruiser, has been convicted of attempted aggravated rape and second-degree kidnapping. The conviction came Tuesday after a five-day trial. A 40-year-old woman accused Hollins of... more »

• Committee to Study ways to Simplify Jury Instructions

  January 9, 2011 12:38 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A committee will study ways to simplify instructions that jurors are given before they start deliberating verdicts in state civil cases in Louisiana. Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine Kimball says the legal instructions should be in plain language so juries are not confused. According to... more »

• Jury convicts 3 officers in post-Katrina death

  December 9, 2010 9:46 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal jury on Thursday convicted three current or former New Orleans police officers but acquitted two others in the death of a man during Hurricane Katrina's chaotic aftermath. The jury of seven women and five men on convicted former officer David Warren of manslaughter in... more »

• N.O. cop who admitted lying to grand jury retires

  December 6, 2010 9:38 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A New Orleans police sergeant who admitted lying to the grand jury probing a deadly police shooting after Hurricane Katrina has retired from the department. Cmdr. Bob Young says Sgt. Purnella Simmons - a 29-year veteran - retired Monday, but no reason was given for her... more »

• New Orleans officer admits lying to grand jury

  November 19, 2010 10:07 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A New Orleans police sergeant testified Friday that she lied to a grand jury when she took responsibility for writing a "fabricated" report that concluded an officer was justified in fatally shooting a man after Hurricane Katrina. Sgt. Purnella Simmons, a government witness in a trial... more »

• Jury Seated in trial of a former Winnfield Police Officer Charged in a Taser Death

  October 20, 2010 4:49 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A jury has been seated in the manslaughter trial of former Winnfield Police Officer Scott Nugent, who is accused in the Taser death of a man he arrested. It took eight days before the panel was seated Wednesday and came only after the district attorney... more »

• Jury Can't Be Seated in Taser Death Trial

  October 15, 2010 5:26 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - After five days of trying to seat a jury in the manslaughter trial of former Winnfield police officer Scott Nugent, the district attorney asked for a change of venue on Friday. R. Chris Nevils said a change was needed because a disproportionate number of potential... more »

• Jury awards tourists $650K in Katrina jail lawsuit

  October 14, 2010 9:42 PM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal jury on Thursday awarded more than $650,000 to two Ohio tourists who were arrested in New Orleans on public drunkenness charges two days before Hurricane Katrina and jailed for more than a month in the storm's chaotic aftermath. The jury unanimously concluded that Orleans... more »

• Couple Accused of kidnapping and Raping Jaycee Dugard Indicted by Grand Jury

  October 1, 2010 5:20 PM

  PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP) - A grand jury has indicted the couple accused of kidnapping and raping Jaycee Dugard, who was held for 18 years in California. Phillip and Nancy Garrido were indicted on 19 counts in a process that will eliminate the need for a preliminary hearing, where their alleged... more »

• Grand Jury Indicts a Man in Double Stabbing

  September 21, 2010 9:27 AM

  MANSFIELD, La. - A DeSoto grand jury has indicted a 35-year-old Mansfield man in connection with the Aug. 8 stabbing deaths of his estranged wife and her sister. The grand jury returned two counts of first-degree murder Monday against Stephen Rivers. Rivers is being held in the DeSoto Detention Center... 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 »

• 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 »

• Wrongful Death Verdict

  July 1, 2010 7:38 PM

  A wrongful death case in St. Landry Parish is over. An Opelousas jury awarded a $7.5 million verdict to a Krotz Springs couple. The two week trail ended Saturday morning, but the case began 7 years ago. It was January 3, 2003 when the parents of Brianna Hutto took... more »

• Grand Jury Indicts Man, Mom in Rape

  June 3, 2010 7:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - An East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury has indicted a 25-year-old Zachary man and his 51-year-old mother on aggravated rape charges involving a young girl. The indictments of William Justin Barker and Deborah Barker allege that the molestation occurred from Aug. 1, 2007, to May... more »

• Stephen McKay Hurst Indicted by a Grand Jury

  April 30, 2010 4:46 PM

  Stephen McKay Hurst, a teacher who allegedly allowed students to have sex in his Lafayette apartment while he filmed them has been indicted by a grand jury. Hurst has been charged with: 2 counts of Production Of Child Ponography 1 count of Attempted Production Of Child Ponography ... more »

• Jeffery Lee Guillory trial to begin March 2

  February 24, 2010 8:10 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Suspected serial killer Jeffery Lee Guillory is set to stand trial March 2 for an alleged attack on a Lafayette woman in 2007. The 43-year-old Guillory was arrested in December in the deaths of three women in Baton Rouge between 1999 and 2002. Guillory will first... more »

• Woman indicted in fatal wreck

  February 23, 2010 7:51 AM

  NEW ROADS, La. (AP) - A Pointe Coupee Parish grand jury has indicted a Ventress woman on a count of vehicular homicide in a wreck that killed a New Roads woman in December. The grand jury on Monday also indicted 23-year-old Victoria Gosserand on a count of first-degree negligent vehicular... more »

• Vermilion Parish police jury blocks delay in tax election

  February 18, 2010 7:27 AM

  ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) - The Vermilion Parish Police Jury has voted to block an attempt by Juror Mark Poche to delay a special March election that calls for a 5.7 mill tax for coastal storm protection. Potential revenue from the tax, if passed, is expected to be used as leverage... more »

• Jefferson Davis coroner election set

  December 10, 2009 11:07 AM

  JENNINGS, La. (AP) - The Jefferson Davis Parish Police Jury has called a special election for March 27 to fill the vacancy created by the death of Coroner Richard Dupont. The American Press reports Dupont, who had served as coroner since March 2000, died Sunday in a Lake Charles... more »

• St. Landry Law Officers Indicted in Opelousas

  December 9, 2009 1:18 PM

  OPELOUSAS, LA- On December 8, 2009, the St. Landry Parish Grand Jury reported to and filed the following with the 27th Judicial District Court, Judge Donald Hebert presiding: A person convicted of the crime of forcible rape shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than forty years.... more »

• Acadia Parish Police Jury Meeting Rescheduled

  November 30, 2009 3:45 PM

  Public Notice is hereby given that the Committee Meeting of the Acadia Parish Police Jury scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, 2009, has been cancelled. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, at 6:30 P.M., in the Police Jury Meeting Room, Third Floor, Courthouse Building, Crowley, Louisiana.... more »

• Arnaudville man indicted for aggravated kidnapping and burglary

  October 30, 2009 2:14 PM

  From: Earl Taylor, District Attorney OPELOUSAS, LA- The St. Landry Parish Grand Jury reported to and filed the following with the 27th Judicial District Court, Judge Ellis Daigle presiding: 1. A True Bill (indictment) was filed against Calvin James Catalon, 30, Meche Road, Arnaudville, LA., for two counts... more »

• Allen Parish police jurors vote to cut jobs

  October 27, 2009 1:58 PM

  OBERLIN, La. (AP) - The Allen Parish Police Jury has voted to eliminate 10 road crew positions and cut funds to various agencies in a bid to save the parish more than $550,000 through 2010. Jury President Sonny Weatherford said on Monday the cannot operate without a balanced budget. Parish... more »

• Vermilion Police Jury OKs hospital repair bid

  October 20, 2009 8:21 AM

  ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) - The Vermilion Parish Police Jury has accepted a low bid of $890,045 from J. Reynolds & Co. Inc., of Saginaw, Texas, to repair the roof of Abbeville General Hospital and provide wind abatement for the building. It was the lowest of 13 bids received Monday from... more »

• Judge: Ex-US Rep. Jefferson won't get new trial

  September 22, 2009 9:03 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A former Louisiana congressman convicted of corruption has lost his bid for a new trial in federal court. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III in Alexandria, Va., denied a request by former Rep. William Jefferson on Friday for another trial. Jefferson was convicted Aug. 5 on 11... more »