Gusman disputes $22 million-a-year for five years, cited by mayor.
Author Archives: Tom Gogola
Tom Gogola covered criminal justice for The Lens from February 2012 to May 2013. He is a veteran journalist and editor who has written on a range of subjects for many publications, including Newsday, New York, The Nation, and Maxim. Gogola was a 2011 winner of the Hillman Foundation Sidney Award, for his groundbreaking report in New York magazine detailing regulatory waste in the commercial fishing industry.
Posted inCriminal Justice
‘Emergency’ meeting on jail reform raises questions about notification
Mayor Landrieu will paint a grim picture of financial impacts if city is forced to cover costs of the federal consent decree.
Posted inSchools
Forgery charge looms for ex-Lusher accountant, NOPD says
Because the money was returned, police are pursuing forgery rather than theft charges.
Posted inCriminal Justice
PSC may flip-flop on prison phone rates at Wednesday meeting, ex-chairman fears
Providers of prison phone services have been fighting hard to reverse the cut in rates and fees approved by the Public Service Commission in December
Posted inCriminal Justice
Former jail official, friend of sheriff, pleads guilty to federal bribery charge
John Sens, who used to be purchasing director, admits to taking kickbacks for rigging contract bids.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Sheriff’s former purchasing director to plead guilty to bribery on Wednesday
Former jail official to admit to role in bid-rigging scheme, his attorney says.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Despite mayor’s flipflop on decree, city winnows list of would-be police monitors
A committee’s business today was to winnow the dozen bids for the monitor’s job down to a lucky five.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Slashed budget leaves hundreds of indigent defendants lawyerless
The city’s numerous new anti-violence and anti-crime initiatives are driving the spike in cases that involve multiple defendants, the public defenders office says. One recent case had 10 co-defendants.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Councilwoman agrees that sheriff needs another building for more prisoners
Orleans Parish Prison plan doesn’t include space for mentally ill; sheriff proposing 600-bed expansion.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Feds charge two former sheriff’s employees in bid-rigging, bribery scheme
Sens and Hoffman “engaged in a rigged bidding process in which real bids would be submitted, along with phony bids, to give the appearance of competition.”