Monday, April 7, 2008
Vitter's Day Keeps Getting Worse
Posted Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 8:44 PM
by Sam Winston
Apparently we can add wreckless driving to things Senator Vitter would rather us not know about. Or just slightly embarassing mishaps that allows for such pot shots when you take a clumsy silence strategy. More here and here.
The Roundup: Communists, Garland, and a DC Madame
Posted Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 1:54 PM
by Sam Winston
Will Vitter take the stand in the D.C. Madame Trial, which starts today?
Katrina Fatigue starting to fade in entertainment and tourism media
The Hornets look for the respect they deserve.
Frustration grows among the nation's Vietnamese community (You must always fight the Communists!)
Garland Robinette scares the crap out of you with a new announcement (make sure you're sound is on. P.S. did you know he too was "blogging" now?"
So is Fletcher Mackel of WDSU sporadically and in ALL CAPS.
And Mayor Nagin is in China, not punching out Clancy.
Information, Please!
Posted by Scuttlebutt on Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 2:38 AM
By: Allen Johnson
“There is a lot of information that is public information that is not getting out (to the public),” says city Inspector General Robert Cerasoli. The head of the new watchdog agency says he wants to work with City Attorney Penya Moses-Field to resolve the longstanding problem, which predates Hurricane Katrina. “I have to sit down with the city attorney and figure out where the jam-up is coming from,” Cerasoli says. The IG says Moses-Field has already told him she needs more attorneys to review the constant flow of written requests for city documents, but antiquated record-keeping in other city departments may be gumming up the process. Since arriving last August, Cerasoli says, he has heard complaints from citizens and media about written requests for police reports and other public records going unanswered. State public-records laws require public officials and agencies to make all public records “immediately available” upon request if the requested records are not in use. If a government official raises a question about whether the requested information is a public record, the government must respond in writing to the request within three business days.
IM, IG and NOPD
Posted by Scuttlebutt on Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 2:36 AM
By: Allen Johnson
The public may finally get a watchdog for the New Orleans Police Department — six years after a task force appointed by outgoing Mayor Marc Morial formally pitched the idea to incoming “reformers” at City Hall. Councilman James Carter and city Inspector General Robert Cerasoli are jointly drafting an ordinance to place a NOPD Independent Monitor under Cerasoli’s fledgling agency. Duties of the “IM” will be spelled out in the proposed ordinance. The IG’s $3.4 million annual budget allocates $250,000 toward hiring an independent monitor and two assistants. “We’ll probably have to use more money out of my budget because $250,000 isn’t enough,” Cerasoli says. Civil rights attorney Mary Howell and other activists have called for an independent monitor to review police policies and practices since 1996. In 2001, Morial appointed a task force, led by then-Councilman Marlin Gusman, to explore the concept after a controversial police killing in Algiers. After months of study, the task force in 2002 supported the concept of an IM over a police-civilian review board. Despite strong public support, the proposal languished under Mayor Ray Nagin, then regained momentum under a new City Council in 2006.
Waldron Says He'll Retire
Posted by Scuttlebutt on Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 2:34 AM
By: Clancy Dubos
Veteran Criminal Court Judge Dennis Waldron will retire at the end of his current term, creating another open judgeship at Tulane and Broad for this fall's courthouse elections. Waldron's term ends Dec. 31. A former first assistant DA under Harry Connick, Waldron was first elected to the bench in 1982. He is known in legal circles for keeping abreast of the latest appellate and Supreme Court rulings in the areas of criminal law and procedure — at both the state and federal levels — on a weekly basis. "I still read the 'slip opinions' every week, and I have a series of boxes containing note cards with all my notes on them," Waldron tells Gambit Weekly. "I don't use a law clerk, and I don't use Westlaw — because I don’t know how to use a computer. I call my set of boxes 'Wald-law' instead of Westlaw, and I plan to continue reading the slips for as long as I can." Waldron also taught criminal law and procedure at Loyola Law School for 19 years and criminal justice to undergraduates at Loyola University for 27 years. Even more impressive, he hasn't missed a single day on the bench for illness, nor has he ever been known to start court late. "I hope to go out with a record for perfect attendance and promptness," he says.
