Criminal justice reporter Bernard Smith and editor Katy Reckdahl examine Senate Bill 256 and the effort to eliminate the position won by Calvin Duncan, raising questions about consolidation, political power, and the will of voters.
With no uniform definition of what makes a ‘case,’ legislators must blindly guess at court caseloads.
During Mardi Gras in New Orleans, police ramp up gun enforcement in crowded areas like Bourbon Street. But a review of recent arrests shows deep racial disparities, legal concerns over stops and searches, and growing debate over whether these tactics meaningfully reduce violence.
The neighborhood is facing an onslaught of catastrophic projects that could be more damaging than Hurricane Katrina.
Louisiana’s fast-tracked approvals for more gas plants, with their secret terms and unenforceable guarantees, seem sure to bring more grid instability and financial uncertainty for Louisiana customers.
Federal judges held stock, bonds and leased mineral rights to Exxon, Chevron and others while hearing cases against the companies alleging damage to the La. coast.
An on-campus hearing showed decisions about freedom decided in real time, for men who have prepared for decades for a chance at parole.
Filings tracked by the Louisiana Supreme Court significantly undercount the number of people processed in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in 2025.
As lawsuits by mostly Democrat-controlled municipalities and states move through the courts, Republican-controlled statehouses like Louisiana’s are proposing a growing number of bills like HB804, to immunize polluters from climate liability.
On the 15th anniversary of The Lens, co-founder Karen Gadbois reflects on the newsroom’s grassroots beginnings, its mission to hold power accountable, and how it grew into a trusted voice for community-driven journalism in New Orleans.
