See the coverage of this story from our partners at Fox8 News No good deed goes unpunished. That was how real estate developer Pres Kabacoff ended an e-mail sent recently to New Orleans City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell. The good deed in question was Kabacoff loaning space for a temporary 5th District police headquarters. The punishment, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
‘Misplaced’ videotape matches defense team narrative
This week, I took in the sights and sounds at convicted killer Michael Anderson’s motion for a new trial. Anderson is sentenced to death for the 2006 murder of five teens in Central City. The massacre resulted in national headlines, local outrage, the deployment of the national guard, and, ultimately, the downfall of former District […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Rose report is awfully cute, also plain awful
Chris Rose has produced a darling little piece for Fox 8 TV on Police Superintendent Warren Riley and Mayor Ray Nagin’s mysterious invocation of the “shadow government” during campaign-season radio appearances on WBOK talk radio. He ‘fesses up to calling in to the show ask for the names of those who comprise the shadow government. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
“Credibility” is not just a BS political hurdle
In the wake of the most disturbing police coverup conspiracy I’ve ever seen, I questioned whether a local candidate for our next police superintendent, a veteran of this broken NOPD, would be considered a credible leader for the force. Commenter jeffrey responded to the post: Do we want a police department that works in the […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
New evidence should mean new trial, says man convicted in 2006 Central City masscre
Before sunrise on June 17, 2006, five young New Orleanians were gunned down in an SUV at Josephine and Danneel streets in what was dubbed the Central City massacre. News of the killings rocked the community and made headlines around the country. The reaction of local elected officials was swift and extreme. Within days, Mayor […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Will any NOPD veteran have the credibility to lead?
On Monday, Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu unveiled a 21-member committee that will advise him on the selection of the city’s next police superintendent. Landrieu used the opportunity to reiterate that the selection of a new top cop remains his top priority. Landrieu and all of his campaign rivals promised to conduct a national search to find […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Schools
Donation boosts Web site and city staff, not citizen-participation efforts
By Ariella Cohen, staff writer – A year and a half after the city of New Orleans received a half-million-dollar donation to foster citizen involvement in the recovery, none of the programs has been fully implemented and neighborhood activists complain that the main beneficiary so far is City Hall. “This grant was supposed to build […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Louisiana hit hard, but not among the "hardest hit"
Today, President Barack Obama announced $1.5 billion for the “hardest hit housing markets,” money that will go to state housing-finance agencies to help foreclosure and declining housing price chaos. Though foreclosures are the main focus, the money may also be used for sustainable and affordable homeownership. Louisiana likely won’t benefit much from the plan. The […]