Latest news with #LouisianaSupremeCourt
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Louisiana DA seeks death penalty for Breaux in mid-2026 trial
ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) — St. Landry Parish District Attorney seeks death penalty after Davieontray Breaux was indicted again for first degree murder and other charges earlier today. Davieontray Breaux indicted again for two counts of first degree murder and also charged with three counts of attempted first degree murder, Chad Pitre, St. Landry District Attorney, said. In June 2022, a St. Landry Grand Jury indicted Breaux along with Felton Martin James and Holly Roberts with two counts of first-degree murder for the shooting of a four year old girl and Alton Thomas of Opelousas. In additional, these three individuals are charged with three counts of attempted first degree murder of three other juveniles involved in the shooting, Pitre said. Earlier in May, attorneys appealed to the Louisiana supreme court and argued that it would be improper for Mr. Breaux to have to defend against the death penalty charges and the attempted first-degree murders in the same trial. On May 9, the Louisiana Supreme Court agreed with the capital defense attorneys and revoked the state's indictment against due to the Louisiana Constitution does not allow a district attorney to join capital offenses with noncapital offenses in a single indictment and be trialed together, Pitre said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'The case is now in the posture required by the (Louisiana) Supreme Court. With the new indictment, we intend to proceed as planned and seek the death penalty for with trial beginning in this matter mid-2026.' Pitre said. Republicans express concern over debt ceiling increase 5 easy ways to avoid consuming microplastics Russia launches air strikes against Ukraine Crowley man killed in Thursday truck crash in Acadia Parish Lawmakers push forward with budget bill Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judges must undergo domestic violence training after mandate from Louisiana Supreme Court
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — All judges in Louisiana must now undergo training in domestic violence and trauma-informed courts. The Louisiana Supreme Court established this requirement, and judges are required to participate in training every other year for one hour. The Louisiana Protective Order Registry and the Louisiana Judicial College are offering the training. The Louisiana Supreme Court said the training 'is intended to ensure judges have access to the latest information and best practices on domestic violence issues, including issuing protective orders, the special needs of domestic violence victims, and evidence-based practices to minimize or eliminate further trauma to children and families.' The trainings offered utilize the Domestic Violence curriculum from the Louisiana Protective Order Registry. They are developed with the help of the National Conference of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National Center for State Courts. The rule change came after a recommendation from Justice John Michael Guidry. This was done due to more domestic violence incidents in the state, according to the Louisiana Supreme Court. New Louisiana bill may ease TOPS scholarship rules for homeschoolers Chief Justice John L. Weimer said, 'The Justices and I share a concern about the unfortunate prevalence of domestic violence in our state. While judges must remain neutral arbiters of the facts and law, we also must be cognizant of the painful toll of domestic violence and trauma in our communities. Trauma-informed judicial training is a tool that we will use to ensure everyone, including domestic violence victims, have their voices heard in our courtrooms.' GOP blocks Democratic effort to combat Pentagon renaming of USNS Harvey Milk Pope Leo XIV appoints sixth bishop for Houma-Thibodaux area President Trump rolls out new travel ban Musk says Trump would have lost election without him Congressional Hispanic Caucus condemns travel ban Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
LSU professor's free speech suit rejected by state's highest court
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Louisiana Supreme Court will not hear the case of an LSU professor suspended after making political comments in class. Ken Levy filed a lawsuit against the LSU Board of Supervisors in January, arguing that his suspension from teaching violated his free speech, academic freedom and due process rights. A lower court ruled he could return to the classroom, but an appeals court reversed it. On Tuesday, the state's highest court formally denied Levy's request to review his case. Chief Justice Weimer would have allowed the case to move forward, but the majority did not agree, according to court documents. Justice Hughes agreed with the decision to deny the appeal but added an opinion. He said the classroom is not a place for obscenities and compared it to a public square, where people can choose to listen or walk away, unlike students who are a 'captive audience.' 'It's a disappointing decision, but I plan to keep fighting for my First Amendment rights, academic freedom, and due process,' Levy said in a statement to Louisiana First News. Speaker Mike Johnson backs tax cut bill; advocates warn of Medicaid impact Funeral arrangements set for oldest Louisiana World War II veteran Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson suspends re-election campaign LSU professor's free speech suit rejected by state's highest court Proposed tax hike on online sports betting lowered in House First tropical wave appears ahead of hurricane season. Here's what to know Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police investigating woman's death as homicide after body found on Alexandria street
The Alexandria Police Department is investigating how a woman died after her body was found on a street Saturday afternoon. According to a news release, officers responded to the area of 16th and Stracener streets around 2:35 p.m. after a report of a body being found. Police identified the victim as Loletha Bell, 35. Her death was ruled a homicide, reads the release. Rehearing again: Louisiana Supreme Court again hears arguments in 1996 Darrell Robinson capital murder case David Brett Westmoreland: Sentencing of retired trooper in Donnie Cayer hit-and-run death set for June 16 Bell's family is raising money for her May 25 memorial service through GoFundMe. As of Tuesday morning, the campaign has almost met half of its $3,000 goal. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 318-441-6416 or dispatch at 318-441-6559. Tips also can be emailed to APDDetectives@ This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Police identify woman found dead on Alexandria street as Loletha Bell
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Baton Rouge man who pleaded guilty to child porn sentenced to 4 years in prison
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Baton Rouge man convicted for possession of child porn was sentenced to four years in federal prison. The court ordered James Burland, 70, to pay a $5,000 special assessment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act and register as a sex offender after his release from prison. According to the Department of Justice, Burland had 565 images of child porn in his possession. Officials said he uploaded a file containing child porn to his internet-based cloud storage account on Nov. 11, 2022. Investigators found over 170 more files from November 2022 to April 2024. The Louisiana Supreme Court suspended Burland from practicing law in the state indefinitely after his guilty plea in January 2025. Prairieville man faces 10 years in prison, charged with enticement of minor Cinco de Mayo deals: Where to get discounted food, drinks on May 5 Baton Rouge spring art festival boosts local artists, eateries, shops North Baton Rouge small business summit: Boosting local entrepreneurs' success Spending smarter: Best ways to use credit card points Human risk-taking, not alligator aggression, behind most bites, study finds Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
