The August 2016 flooding in Louisiana left record-breaking destruction in its wake. As we’ve seen, these disaster situations bring out the best in people (think the Cajun Navy), and also, unfortunately, the worst. If you or a family member has been left with an unfinished home, workplace, or other structure, you’re only too aware of…Read More
After a divorce, the next step is to divide the community property of the former spouses. For most people, this involves a house, several vehicles, and pension and retirement accounts along with their corresponding debts. Living in a Community Property Law State I often have clients who believe that just because they have separate checking…Read More
2016 was a volatile year for police and their encounters with citizens. A grass roots movement called Black Lives Matter gained a lot of media attention and traction in communities by highlighting incidents of “excessive force” (sometimes tragically) being used by police against black citizens. What Are Blue Lives Matter Laws? In response to these…Read More
On January 25, 2017, President Donald Trump issued an executive order regarding undocumented immigrants that directs ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the Department of Homeland Security to vigorously enforce existing laws that allow the government to deport undocumented immigrants and widened the categories of immigrants prioritized for prosecution. On February 13, 2017, The New…Read More
Baton Rouge’s Spanish Town Parade is famous for flamboyant costumes and off-color humor. It’s not a family friendly parade, but it can be a good time if you don’t have any political sensitivity, and don’t mind innuendo just short of public obscenity. Public Drinking at the Spanish Town Parade Based on the many police reports…Read More
In central Louisiana, the city of Alexandria recently enacted a law forbidding fortune tellers, palm readers, tarot card readings, astrology and other psychic readings. However a Federal Judge accepted the recommendation of a U.S. Magistrate Judge that the law was unconstitutional. The judge stated that the law violated First Amendment Free Speech Rights. Filing the…Read More
In one of the more interesting bills signed into law by Gov. Jindal, Louisiana now bans the sale of dogs and cats from certain public areas, replicating what many parishes have already banned on a local basis. Animal activists have long been angered over individuals selling dogs and cats in shopping center parking lots or…Read More
In the recent legislative session, Governor Bobby Jindal signed into law several bills that increase the punishment for various violent crimes. Lawmakers have added significant jail time to the following offenses: Act 478: Increases the penalty for possession of or dealing in firearms with obliterated serial numbers from $1000 fine plus up to 6 months…Read More
Crime is nothing new in New Orleans and violent crime is once again on the rise. This week another cab driver was found shot to death in his cab in New Orleans East. This news has shocked and devastated local cabbies and the entire community. In March another driver was shot in Metairie, and in…Read More