By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer| A little-scrutinized but extremely powerful government body is holding a rare public meeting Thursday morning. Among other things, the taxpayer-funded New Orleans Law Enforcement District effectively works as Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s piggy bank for construction projects such as his planned new jail. The governing body of […]

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Like a driver that didn’t even touch the brakes before blowing a red light, a bill that would allow New Orleans Traffic Court to raise its costs from $10 to $30 passed through the Senate Finance Committee this afternoon with no discussion and without a word from […]

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s office this morning will place an ordinance before the City Council that, if approved, would move contested traffic-camera tickets from Civil Court to Traffic Court, a move that could raise millions of dollars for Traffic Court. Landrieu’s spokesman, Ryan Berni, confirmed the move. “The […]

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A bill scheduled for debate Wednesday on the floor of the state House would let New Orleans Traffic Court charge higher fees even though its budget is booming. Further, the legislator who sponsored the bill and one of the court’s judges gave different reasons why the bill […]

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s jail advisory working group is moving slower than expected, and members are beginning to polarize on contentious issues relating to the total space in Orleans Parish Prison. The group initially was charged with making a recommendation on the overall jail size by Nov. 22, […]