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Louisiana legislators grill New Orleans DA for releasing people convicted of violent crimes

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Louisiana legislators grill New Orleans DA for releasing people convicted of violent crimes


BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana legislators interrogated New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams over reform policies that have allowed several hundred people to have their convictions voided or sentences reduced in the past few years, during a fiery Senate hearing Thursday at the state capitol.

Conservative lawmakers, Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill and several former prosecutors said Williams failed to fulfill his duty to defend convictions for violent crimes. They highlighted cases of convicted murderers and rapists released from prison through post-conviction relief, which allows new information to be considered after all appeals have been exhausted.

Williams, a Democrat who took office in 2020 on a progressive platform, defended his record and said his office is seeking to restore trust in the legal system. He has pushed for expanding the use of post-conviction relief to review cases where his office believes unconstitutional or unjust procedures were employed to reach convictions.

Murrill said she is reviewing what she called the “disproportionately higher number” of relief cases awarded by Williams’ office since January. He has granted relief in around 40 cases during that period, while district attorneys in neighboring Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes have only allowed for one case of relief each.

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In almost every case granted by Williams’ office, the person had not asserted their innocence as a reason for relief, she said. District attorneys have an obligation to fight to uphold convictions, Murrill added.

Williams and his supporters have pointed to New Orleans’ history of police and prosecutorial misconduct and harsh sentencing policies as a reason for the elevated number of cases.

“The job is to enforce the law and not make the law,” Murrill said. “If the district attorney had a disagreement regarding policy, that’s not a basis for relief.”

Under a new law that took effect in August, Williams’ office is required to notify the attorney general of post-conviction relief cases and allow her to intervene.

Murrill and conservative lawmakers said the hearing was part of a process to assess whether Williams had committed overreach. They would consider additional legislative responses to his office’s actions in the future. Across the country, conservative legislators have sought to limit the independence of progressive prosecutors, according to University of Berkeley law professor Rebecca Goldstein.

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State Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat who represents New Orleans, said that Williams reflected the values and policies of voters who elected him to office and questioned the political motives behind the hearing.

Laura Rodrigue, a former New Orleans prosecutor and daughter of Williams’ predecessor, highlighted what she said was a flurry of instances where post-conviction relief was granted despite there being “no legal basis” for relief.

She raised the case of Eric Matthews, who beat his two-year-old to death with a belt in 1994 and had his conviction voided earlier this year on the grounds that his lawyer was ineffective. While Williams’ office said they opposed releasing Matthews and plan for a retrial, Matthews is currently out on bond.

“Finding some loophole to let someone out on, none of us should support that because it is evil, it is wicked,” Republican state Sen. Valarie Hodges said.

Republican state Sen. Jay Morris brought up the case of another man who stabbed his female partner to death and was later re-sentenced and released after Williams’ office conceded the ineffective counsel claims presented by the man’s attorney.

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“Do you have a concern that that person who brutally murdered his ex-wife (is) being set free?” Morris asked Williams.

Williams said he did. But he explained there were other potential constitutional violations raised in the case and that acknowledging them could have “exposed my office to a lawsuit.”

He said his office had sought maintain a conviction and had shared statements from the victim’s family to the judge opposing the release.

Williams said he believed much of the testimony presented at the hearing was misleading and unfairly maligned the post-conviction relief process. He said his office was motivated to let people have a chance to bring new evidence into court, pointing to a case where one alleged victim recently admitted that he had falsely accused a man serving decades behind bars for armed robbery.

Some lawmakers accused Williams of operating without transparency over his decision-making in cases where relief was granted. His office has withheld documents from the public related to these cases on the grounds they are protected “work product,” the Advocate has reported.

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Williams said his office plans to provide lawmakers and the attorney general with complete records for each case of post-conviction relief over the past year.

“We have nothing to hide,” he said.

___

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96.



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Louisiana

Duck hunters hope cold fronts will save first split

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2 hours ago

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November 16, 2024

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Duck hunters hope cold fronts will save first split


Last week’s midweek cold front, and another even colder front predicted this week, could save Louisiana’s first split of the 60-day duck season.

With the West Zone — it covers our state’s entire coast — entering its second full week and East Zone’s wild waterfowlers getting their first shots this weekend, two cold fronts are a blessing.

A double stroke of good luck is both fronts brought and are predicted to bring much-needed rain, maybe too much in some places, but water to quench what was left of that October drought.

From the first West Zone reports, it appears only a handful of isolated spots held enough migrating birds to give hunters enough opportunity after that Nov. 9 opening day.

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The first day’s take was good enough for most coastal hunters, but the second and third days left them wanting. Only a few, and somewhat small, locations in Grand Chenier and Little Chenier in the southwestern parishes and spots on the eastern side of the Mississippi River south of Buras held enough bluewing teal, pintails and gray ducks for hunters after opening day.

The southwestern marshes had to wait for rice-field hunters to chase birds their way, which meant seeing a few birds near sunrise and more birds later in the morning for those willing to wait out the lull in the action.

The take more than verified Wildlife and Fisheries’ Waterfowl Study Group survey, an aerial counting that showed Louisiana was holding a record low number of ducks for a November survey — ever!

The 510,000 ducks spread among 11 species is, according to study leader Jason Olszak, “12.7% lower than last November’s record low of 584,000 and is 37% lower than the most recent five-year average (809,000), and 58% lower than the most recent 10-year average (1.2 million).”

The survey showed increases only in bluewing teal and pintail from 12 months ago, but did not show a count of 107,000 black-bellied whistling ducks, a species that’s increased its numbers dramatically during the past four years in our state.

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All it not lost. Midwest states like Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri have temperatures dipping below freezing for the first time this year, and that’s usually enough to chase south the last remaining teal, grays, pintail, shovelers and ringneck ducks to increase the number of birds pushing south into Louisiana.

One surprising number in November’s survey was the number of ducks in the Little River Basin, a place identified as Catahoula Lake in past years. The 119,000 ducks seen in the basin is big uptick from past years and gives East Zone hunters a leg up on what usually is a sparse first split.

A reminder: The East Zone’s first split runs through Dec. 1. West Zone hunters have a Dec. 8 first-split final day.

Red snapper

Charterboat operations with federal for-hire permits will get another chance to take red snapper this year.

Federal fisheries folks announced charters in all five Gulf States will open a second season Monday and remain open through Dec. 31.

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That’s because during the federal charters’ special 88-day season (it closed Aug. 28) the feds estimated landings to be 2,193,710 pounds in an annual allotment of 3,076,322 pounds whole weight. That leaves 882,612 pounds on the table, enough federal fisheries managers say can extend a season through the end of the year.

Private recreational anglers and charterboats under state permits continue to have a closed or limited seasons under each of the five state’s allowed red snapper frameworks.

Louisiana private and state-chartered fishermen continue to have a closed season on the take of red snapper.

Closures

Recent heavy rains forced Wildlife and Fisheries to close the deer season in the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area, and the closure of Blount Road on the Richard Yancey WMA.

Both are popular deer and small-game hunting areas. Maurepas Swamp (112,615 acres) is between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and takes in parts of Ascension, Livingston, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes.

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Richard Yancey is located 35 miles south of Ferriday. The agency said Blount Road, a major access route, will have to be inspected and repaired before it can be reopened to hunters.



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Court narrows ruling barring display of Ten Commandments in Louisiana schools

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9 hours ago

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November 16, 2024

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Court narrows ruling barring display of Ten Commandments in Louisiana schools


A federal appeals court in New Orleans on Friday temporarily limited the scope of a ruling that Louisiana’s law requiring public schools to post the Ten Commandments in all classrooms next year is unconstitutional.

US district judge John deGravelles’ ruling that the law is unconstitutional remains in effect under the order from the fifth US circuit court of appeals. However, the appellate court temporarily blocked a part of the ruling that requires state education officials to notify public schools statewide that the law has been struck down.

State attorneys said in an emergency stay motion filed on Wednesday that deGravelles’ finding that the commandments posting requirement is unconstitutional only affects five local school systems that are defendants in the case. They said deGravelles overstepped his authority when he ordered that schools in all 72 districts tbe notified of his finding. They asked that the notification requirement be paused immediately while they appeal all of deGravelles’ order. That broader appeal was filed later on Friday night.

Friday’s fifth circuit order was a temporary “administrative stay” granted in response to the state’s emergency request. The order may be altered or lifted as the appeal progresses. Judges Jerry Smith, nominated to the court by Ronald Reagan, and Kurt Engelhardt, nominated by Donald Trump, voted to grant the stay in a one-sentence order. A footnote said Judge James Graves, nominated by Barack Obama, would have denied the stay.

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Louisiana’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, celebrated the ruling in a Friday evening social media post.

“I look forward to immediately working with all of our school boards who are not involved in this lawsuit to implement the law soon,” she wrote.

The law specifies a version of the Ten Commandments must be posted in all Louisiana classrooms at public K-12 schools and universities by 1 January. It was passed by the Republican-dominated state legislature this year and signed by the Republican governor, Jeff Landry, in June.

DeGravelles ruled on Tuesday that the law was “overtly religious” and “unconstitutional on its face”. He said state superintendent of education, Cade Brumley, and the state education board – both of them defendants in the lawsuit – can take no steps to implement the law. And he told them to notify all school boards that it has been found unconstitutional.

Murrill, a Republican ally of Landry, said the state disagrees with the entire ruling. However, she said the notification requirement created an immediate problem because it will confuse school systems where, the state contends, the law remains in effect.

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How to Watch Louisiana vs. South Alabama: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – November 16, 2024

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17 hours ago

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November 16, 2024

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How to Watch Louisiana vs. South Alabama: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – November 16, 2024


Data Skrive

Star player Terrance Carter and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (8-1) face the South Alabama Jaguars (4-5) on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, at Cajun Field.

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You’ll want to check out ESPN+ for the upcoming matchup featuring the Ragin’ Cajuns and Jaguars.

Keep up with college football all season on FOX Sports.

Ace Bailey drops 17 points and 6 rebounds in his Rutgers debut | FOX Hoops Player Highlight

Check out star freshman Ace Bailey’s Rutgers Scarlet Knights debut in which he dropped 17 points and 6 rebounds in a win against the Monmouth Hawks.

Learn more about the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the South Alabama Jaguars.

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How to Watch Louisiana vs. South Alabama

  • When: Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
  • Location: Cajun Field in Lafayette, Louisiana
  • Live Box Score: FOX Sports

Read More About This Game

  • Louisiana vs. South Alabama Predictions

Louisiana vs. South Alabama: Head to Head

  • Over the past two matchups against South Alabama, Louisiana has collected one win and zero ties.
  • The Ragin’ Cajuns have covered two times in those games while not outscoring the point total once.
  • South Alabama has put up 10 fewer points than Louisiana in their past two games.

Louisiana’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31/2024 vs. Grambling State W 40-10
9/7/2024 at Kennesaw State W 34-10
9/21/2024 vs. Tulane L 41-33
9/28/2024 at Wake Forest W 41-38
10/5/2024 at Southern Miss W 23-13
10/12/2024 vs. Appalachian State W 34-24
10/19/2024 at Coastal Carolina W 34-24
10/29/2024 at Texas State W 23-17
11/9/2024 vs. Arkansas State W 55-19
11/16/2024 vs. South Alabama –
11/23/2024 vs. Troy –
11/30/2024 at Louisiana-Monroe –

Louisiana 2024 Stats & Insights

  • On the offensive side of the ball, Louisiana has been a top-25 unit, ranking 11th-best in the FBS by compiling 457.1 yards per game. The defense ranks 40th (335.4 yards allowed per game).
  • Louisiana ranks 32nd in passing yards this year (266.8 per game), but has been shining on the other side of the ball, ranking 17th-best in the FBS with 173 passing yards allowed per game.
  • The Ragin’ Cajuns own the 38th-ranked defense this season (21.8 points allowed per game), and they’ve been better offensively, ranking 24th-best with 35.2 points per game.
  • The Ragin’ Cajuns rank 33rd in run offense (190.3 rushing yards per game) and 89th in run defense (162.4 rushing yards allowed per game) this season.
  • Louisiana owns the eighth-best offense this season in terms of third-down efficiency (50% third-down conversion rate), but ranks 14th-worst on the defensive side of the ball (45.9% third-down percentage).
  • The Ragin’ Cajuns have the 17th-best turnover margin in college football at +8, forcing 12 turnovers (69th in the FBS) while turning it over four times (second in the FBS).

Louisiana 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
Ben Wooldridge QB 2,301 YDS (68.5%) / 17 TD / 4 INT
190 RUSH YDS / 5 RUSH TD / 21.1 RUSH YPG
Elijah Davis RB 585 YDS / 5 TD / 65 YPG / 6 YPC
9 REC / 86 REC YDS / 1 REC TD / 10.8 REC YPG
Terrance Carter TE 35 REC / 558 YDS / 4 TD / 62 YPG
Lance LeGendre WR 27 REC / 515 YDS / 4 TD / 57.2 YPG
K.C. Ossai LB 76 TKL / 2 TFL / 0.5 SACK
Tyrone Lewis DB 42 TKL / 0 TFL / 0.5 SACK / 4 INT
Tyree Skipper DB 35 TKL / 0 TFL / 4 INT / 4 PD
Carmycah Glass LB 51 TKL / 3 TFL / 0.5 SACK

South Alabama’s 2024 Schedule

Date Opponent Score
8/31/2024 vs. North Texas L 52-38
9/7/2024 at Ohio L 27-20
9/12/2024 vs. Northwestern State W 87-10
9/19/2024 at Appalachian State W 48-14
9/28/2024 at LSU L 42-10
10/5/2024 at Arkansas State L 18-16
10/15/2024 vs. Troy W 25-9
10/26/2024 vs. Louisiana-Monroe W 46-17
11/2/2024 vs. Georgia Southern L 34-30
11/16/2024 at Louisiana –
11/23/2024 at Southern Miss –
11/29/2024 vs. Texas State –

South Alabama 2024 Stats & Insights

  • South Alabama’s offense has been leading the way for the team, as it ranks 14th-best in the FBS with 455.2 total yards per contest. In terms of defense, it is ceding 394.4 total yards per game, which ranks 98th.
  • South Alabama ranks 51st in passing yards per game (242.8), but it has been worse on the defensive side of the ball, ranking 12th-worst in the FBS with 264.2 passing yards allowed per contest.
  • The Jaguars’ defense ranks 69th in the FBS with 24.8 points given up per game, but they’ve been lifted up by their offense, which ranks 20th-best by generating 35.6 points per game.
  • The Jaguars’ rushing attack has been paving the way for the team, as they rank 17th-best in the FBS with 212.4 rushing yards per game. In terms of defense, they are ceding 130.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 47th.
  • South Alabama ranks 54th in the FBS with a 42.1% third-down conversion rate on offense, and 58th with a 37.4% third-down percentage allowed on defense.
  • The Jaguars have excelled in terms of turnovers, as their turnover margin of +8 ranks 17th-best in the FBS, with 14 forced turnovers (48th in the nation) and six turnovers committed (fifth in the nation).

South Alabama 2024 Key Players

Name Position Stats
Gio Lopez QB 1,891 YDS (65.4%) / 14 TD / 2 INT
393 RUSH YDS / 4 RUSH TD / 43.7 RUSH YPG
Da’Marion Bothwell RB 609 YDS / 10 TD / 67.7 YPG / 6.8 YPC
12 REC / 83 REC YDS / 0 REC TD / 11.9 REC YPG
Jamaal Pritchett WR 62 REC / 770 YDS / 7 TD / 85.6 YPG
Kentrel Bullock RB 606 YDS / 5 TD / 67.3 YPG / 5.9 YPC
12 REC / 116 REC YDS / 0 REC TD / 12.9 REC YPG
Blayne Myrick LB 66 TKL / 4 TFL / 1 SACK
Jaden Voisin DB 41 TKL / 1 TFL / 3 INT / 3 PD
Jordan Scruggs DB 47 TKL / 3 TFL / 1 INT / 1 PD
Courtney McBride LB 27 TKL / 5 TFL / 4 SACK

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

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