IBERIA PARISH (JEANERETTE) — A state district judge has dismissed the Jeanerette city attorney's suit against the city's mayor.
Earlier this year, city attorney Lucretia Pecantte filed suit against Jeanerette Mayor Carol Bourgeois, alleging that he had withheld payment she was due for city work she did in December.
Lucretia Pecannte, who has served as the city attorney since 2021, claims she submitted an invoice on Dec. 26, 2024, but never received her payment.
Records at the Iberia Parish Clerk of Court show that the mayor's attorney, Robert Torian of Lafayette, filed exceptions to the suit, alleging the claim wasn't brought to court properly.
In her judgment, the judge ruled that the claim wasn't properly filed and dismissed it, with prejudice. Each party had to bear its own court costs, the ruling states.
We've reached out to the mayor and Pecantte, but neither agreed to meet in person. However, each did provide a statement regarding this update:
"I and the council are moving forward with the City of Jeanerette business on behalf of all the people we serve,” Mayor Carol Bourgeois said. For clarification, the suit was filed against Bourgeois and only names him.
“I am disappointed in the judge's ruling and am taking it to the next level," Lucretia Pecantte said. "I don’t look at it as a loss, I look at it as a challenge. I’ll give him this little victory--but we’re only in the first quarter.”
Pecantte is pursuing further legal action and said she plans to take her case to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.
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