Behind The Lens episode 124: ‘There’s nothing to make them want to play by the rules’

Low collections on short-term rental fines. Renaming New Orleans school buildings. And one year after split jury verdicts were found unconstitutional, a legal deadline in Louisiana.

This week on Behind the Lens, 20 New Orleans school buildings named for slave owners, separatists or segregationists might be renamed in keeping with a new Orleans Parish School Board policy. 

Over 1,000 defendants convicted by split juries have had post-conviction relief petitions filed on their behalf since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled non-unanimous verdicts unconstitutional.

The city of New Orleans has collected only $1,500 in fines — not the $1 million one official appeared to suggest last month — levied on short-term rentals over two years for violations of city regulations. (Note: Since this episode was published, The Lens has been given reason to believe the numbers on short-term rental fines we were provided by the city are inaccurate. Please see the editor’s note on the original story.)

Our guests this week are education reporter Marta Jewson, criminal justice reporter Nick Chrastil, government and cultural economy reporter Michael Isaac Stein, and The Lens editor Charles Maldonado.

Behind The Lens is available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Play and Stitcher. And we broadcast the show on community radio stations 102.3 FM WHIV LP in Mid-City and 90.3 FM WAMF-LP in the Marigny.

Carolyne Heldman

Carolyne Heldman Rovira has been in media for 35 years, and is currently the podcast host and producer for Behind The Lens. Heldman served as executive director at Aspen Public Radio, an NPR affiliate, where she launched four weekly news, public affairs, and cultural affairs programs. She has been a guest lecturer at Tulane University, is a frequent guest and moderator for the Aspen Institute, Rocky Mountain Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute.