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Louisiana’s high fees, cumbersome process for expungement could be curbed – Louisiana Illuminator

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Louisiana’s high fees, cumbersome process for expungement could be curbed – Louisiana Illuminator


Louisiana legislators are contemplating automating a big portion of the state’s felony report expungement system once more. It’s a transfer that might permit hundreds to scuttle outdated arrests and convictions that proponents of the change say forestall them from getting better-paying jobs. 

The Home Committee on the Administration of Legal Justice on Wednesday forwarded Home Invoice 707, by Rep. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, to the complete Home for consideration. 

It solely applies to felony information since 1999 which are already eligible for expungement. The automation wouldn’t embody municipal courtroom information, the place most visitors offenses and misdemeanors are dealt with. It could take impact in 2024.

Underneath present legislation, individuals in search of to expunge their arrest or conviction information should pay a minimum of a $550 price per incident. Many additionally want to rent an lawyer as a result of the method is sophisticated. If one thing goes mistaken, they lose out on that cash as a result of the price shouldn’t be refundable.

If Duplessis’ invoice turns into legislation, individuals eligible for expungement would not must provoke the method, pay for it or rent a lawyer to hold it out.

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Louisiana’s expungement price for felony information is the costliest within the nation by a margin of $300, in response to Vanessa Spinazola, govt director of the Justice and Accountability Heart of Louisiana. Her group recruits attorneys to hold out expungements on a professional bono foundation for shoppers. Solely 20% of individuals eligible for expungement in Louisiana make the most of it, she mentioned, largely as a result of they will’t afford it. 

The laws has widespread help in idea. The same proposal was launched final 12 months, however legislators balked at the price of it. Duplessis’ unique expungement  proposal was anticipated to value a minimum of $8.6 million over the subsequent 5 years, in response to a legislative fiscal evaluation, although some adjustments to the invoice could have adjusted the value tag barely. 

Among the anticipated bills embody an replace to the Louisiana State Police’s pc system ($1.7 million) and the hiring six new state police analysts ($476,000 yearly). The company additionally mentioned it will want extra telephones ($2,016), pc providers ($7,164), workplace furnishings ($9,600) and fax/printer machines ($7,000), in response to their very own estimates.

The Louisiana Supreme Courtroom would additionally must improve its system ($1.2 million) and rent 4 new workers members. The Louisiana Clerks of Courtroom Affiliation estimates that each parish clerk’s workplace would wish one extra individual to cope with the inflow of expungements if the invoice passes.

The invoice would dump roughly 2.6 million felony information into the expungement course of, in response to the clerk’s affiliation. The clerks affiliation has mentioned they help the idea of automated expungement, however they want to have the ability to rent sufficient workers to cope with the backlog. 

The laws would additionally value the courts and legislation enforcement cash not factored into the $8.6 million price ticket. The $550 expungement price – which might be erased underneath Duplessis’ invoice – is break up amongst state police ($250), sheriffs ($50), district attorneys ($50) and clerks of courtroom ($50). Individuals with a drunk driving expungement would additionally not pay a further $50 price to the Workplace of Motor Autos.

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The worth tag on the proposal would usually be a deterrent to passing the invoice, however Louisiana has billions of {dollars} of additional funding to it this 12 months and a big portion of the automated expungement prices are one-time bills that don’t recur. Duplessis is hoping to make the case that the automated expungement could be a superb place to place a small portion of the additional cash. 

The Louisiana judiciary department can also be sitting on thousands and thousands of {dollars} of reserve funding that might assist cowl the prices.

“If there was ever a time to do it, now could be the time,” Duplessis mentioned. 



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Obituary for James Nelson Holbrook at Southern Funeral Home Winnfield

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Obituary for James Nelson Holbrook at Southern Funeral Home Winnfield


James Red Nelson Holbrook, 90, of Winnfield, LA, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. He was born on March 23, 1934, in Brainerd, MN, the second oldest of twelve siblings. James honorably served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After his service, he dedicated



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Budget deal preserves flood insurance for Louisiana, other states through hurricane season

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Budget deal preserves flood insurance for Louisiana, other states through hurricane season


Congress’ temporary budget deal to keep the government open for three months also keeps the National Flood Insurance Program from expiring in Louisiana and other states during hurricane season.

President Joe Biden officially signed Congress’ continuing resolution Thursday to avoid a government shutdown until Dec. 20, but sets up another funding battle at the end when both sides know who control the White House.

“Our state is still picking up the pieces that Hurricane Francine left behind, and our communities need all the help they can get,” Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said of the CR. “I’m thankful we’ve delivered Louisianians additional disaster aid and protected their flood insurance so that the program doesn’t expire in the middle of hurricane season.”

Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy also voted for the temporary budget deal that propped up the flood insurance program again before it expired Sept. 30.

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“Nobody wants a shutdown,” Cassidy said. “We must keep the National Flood Insurance Program going, put more money into FEMA’s disaster relief fund, continue to pay our troops and give the Secret Service additional resources to protect (former) President Trump. While I’m disappointed the SAVE Act was not included, this bill gives us the time to find a lasting solution without harming Americans.”

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) would require people to prove they are U.S. citizens before they can vote. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in all federal elections and critics believe it would add barriers for legal voters who can’t easily access their citizenship documents.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Shreveport had proposed a six-month budget extension that would have included the SAVE Act, but it failed to pass, necessitating the final deal.

“The best play under the circumstances was the CR with the SAVE Act,” Johnson said ahead of this week’s final deal. “But we came a little short of the goal line, so we have to go with the last available play.”

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Trump urged House Republicans to let the government shut down if they did not get the voting legislation passed along with a funding extension. But Johnson told his conference that it would be “political malpractice” to do that so close to an election, citing polling indicating voters probably would blame Republicans for a shutdown.

More: Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins’ Haitian tweet draws sharp criticism as racist

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.



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Lana Del Rey Marries Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana Wedding

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Lana Del Rey Marries Jeremy Dufrene in Louisiana Wedding



Lana Del Rey.
Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

Lana Del Rey and Jeremy Dufrene are reportedly married!

The “Born To Die” singer, 39, and the alligator tour guide tied the knot in Louisiana, on Thursday, September 26, according to photos and videos published by DailyMail.com.

Del Rey wore a floor-length white wedding gown for her nuptials, which took place by the water in Des Allemandes – the same bayou Dufrene uses to host his popular tours, per the outlet.

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The Grammy nominee’s father, Robert Grant, reportedly walked Del Rey down the aisle to where Dufrene, dressed in a black suit, white dress shirt and leather shoes was awaiting his bride.

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Del Rey’s mother Patricia Ann Hill, 68, her sister Caroline Grant and brother Charlie Hill-Grant all attended the couple’s wedding, reported the outlet.

According to Dailymail.com, following the nuptials, the newly wedded couple and guests reportedly celebrated the reception along the public harbor – near where the exchanging of vows took place.

The news comes just hours after it was confirmed that Del Rey and Dufrene had obtained a marriage license in Louisiana’s Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court on Monday, September 23, according to court records obtained by Us Weekly.

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While they were first linked late last month, Del Rey has uploaded pictures of herself with Dufrene on Facebook dating back to 2019 when she first went on one of his wildlife tours.

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey.
(Photo by Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty Images for ABA)

 

Del Rey and Dufrene made their public debut earlier this month when the alligator tour guide accompanied Del Rey to Karen Elson’s wedding at New York City’s Electric Lady Studios. (Elson, 45, married Lee Foster, who owns the recording studio.)

The “Summertime Sadness” singer has previously been linked to Barrie-James O’Neill, Francesco Carrozzini, G-Eazy, Sean Larkin and Clayton Johnson. While speaking with Rolling Stone in 2014, she revealed that she thrives in intense relationships.

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“It’s been beautiful, but it’s been confusing because when that’s your prerogative, things don’t end in a traditional way,” Del Rey told the outlet in July 2014. “You don’t have that traditional relationship where maybe you go out with couples at night, or you do normal things. It’s more of an extension of the creative process.””

In the profile, Del Rey confirmed that she was “really looking for an equal” and wasn’t afraid of an age-gap romance.

“I sort of have an affinity for really good, strong, self-assured people,” she said. “I would say I haven’t met them as much in people who are in their 20s. So for me, I have nothing in common necessarily with somebody who’s in their 20s — yet. That I know of, thus far.”

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