Tag: louisiana

5 Cops Charged for Torturing Handcuffed Man to Death then Claiming He Died in Car Crash

The family of Ronald Greene as well as the public at large were all told a tragic but utterly false story about this 49-year-old Louisiana man’s last moments alive. According to officials, Greene died after his car crashed into a “tree/shrub” just outside Monroe on May 10, 2019. However, we have since learned everything they were told was a lie after body camera video surfaced and painted an entirely different picture. Greene’s death was not a result of the crash and the department engaged in a coverup.

Now, more than three years after his death, five cops were charged in connection to the horrifying torture they doled out on the side of a dark Louisiana highway.

“They need to be held accountable,” Mona Hardin, Greene’s mother, told reporters on Thursday after the charges were announced. “Because if not, you’re condoning the killing of Ronald Greene. You’re OK with my son being murdered if you just give a slap on the wrist.”

Up until now, all the officers have remained on the job and, even now, they are still collecting their paychecks. As the NY Times reports:

The state police said on Thursday that two troopers had been placed on administrative leave because of the indictment. One of them, Master Trooper Kory York, was charged with the most serious offenses, including negligent homicide and 10 counts of malfeasance in office. (Trooper York had previously received a 50-hour suspension and returned to active duty.) The other, Lt. John Clary, who was charged with malfeasance in office and obstruction of justice, was the highest-ranking trooper at the scene.

Two others with the state police, Trooper Dakota DeMoss and Capt. John Peters, were both charged with obstruction of justice. Christopher Harpin, a Union Parish sheriff’s deputy, was also named in the indictment, charged with three counts of malfeasance in office.

“Today’s indictments followed a thorough and extensive investigation by state and federal agencies,” Col. Lamar A. Davis, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, said in a statement on Thursday. “Any instance of excessive force jeopardizes public safety and is a danger to our communities. These actions are inexcusable and have no place in professional public safety services.”

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Four States Voted to End Slavery — But Not Louisiana. Here’s Why.

Voters in Vermont, Tennessee, Oregon and Alabama amended their state constitutions to abolish slavery and indentured servitude this week — but a similar initiative failed in Louisiana, garnering embarrassing headlines for a former slave state that remains infamous for modern mass incarceration and forced prison labor.

Louisiana voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution aimed at outlawing slavery and involuntary servitude on Tuesday, underscoring the challenges faced by a growing movement to abolish slave wages and coerced labor inside prisons nationwide. Activists campaigning to end prison slavery say the vote was mired in confusion and misinformation after Rep. Edmond Jordan, a Black Democrat and sponsor of the amendment in the state legislature, advised voters to reject its compromise language and send it back to the drawing board.

However, Amendment 7’s passage would have been at least a symbolic victory for formerly and currently incarcerated organizers in a state known for the Louisiana State Penitentiary, home to the notorious Angola prison farm located on a former antebellum plantation. Activists cite Angola as a well-known example of “modern-day slavery,” although coerced and extremely low-paid prison labor is pervasive far beyond rural Louisiana.

“We knew the amendment didn’t go far enough, but we need to start somewhere,” said Morgan Shannon, director of partnerships at the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, in an interview. The social justice group is one of several that campaigned in support of the amendment.

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Louisiana Hospital System to Dock Pay of Employees With Unvaccinated Spouses

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more insane, a Louisiana company has sent a memo to employees saying they plan to fine any employee with a spouse who refuses to be vaccinated for COVID.

Ochsner Health Systems is a New Orleans-based health provider. Employees received a memo this week explaining that their paychecks would begin to be docked if they carry a spouse on their insurance plan who is unvaccinated. A Twitter user posted a copy of the memo to social media on Thursday morning.

The company claims that it cannot be characterized as a mandate because Ochsner employees have the option of seeking medical insurance outside of their network.

But let’s think about how utterly chilling (and probably illegal) this mandate – and yes, it is a mandate because a rose by any other name and all that – truly is.

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Now in Effect: Louisiana Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession Despite Federal Prohibition

On Sunday, a Louisiana law decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana went into effect despite ongoing federal cannabis prohibition.

Rep. Cedric Glover (D) introduced House Bill 652 (HB652) on April 4. Under the new law, possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana is punishable by a fine of up to $100 with no threat of jail time.

The House passed HB652 by a 68-25 vote. The Senate approved the measure by a 20-17 vote. With Gov. John Bell Edward’s signature, the law went into effect on Aug. 1.

In his signing statement, Bell downplayed the law, saying “contrary to the narrative developed in the press and elsewhere, [HB652] does not decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.” But as Marijuana Moment noted, “replacing the threat of incarceration with a modest fine does fit the definition of decriminalization used by reform advocates.”

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City councilman in Louisiana arrested for election fraud

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin Thursday morning announced their offices have arrested an Amite City Councilman on eight counts of election fraud. 

Emanuel Zanders, III is accused of submitting voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent.

At a news conference in Baton Rouge, both Attorney General Landry and Secretary Ardoin expressed the importance of election integrity through free and fair elections. They stressed that every legal voter gets one legal vote and no more: one man, one vote.

“Anything other than a one-for-one vote distorts our election process,” said Attorney General Landry. “Those who wish to distort an election in this matter are breaking the law and betraying their fellow citizens. It is even more disheartening when the perpetrator is an elected official.”

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