Day: May 7, 2010

Do, Did, Dunn! Diaz case against former USA Dunn Lampton goes forward

A big hat tip to the reader who sent both the Order and this summary – and congratulations to Oliver and Jennifer Diaz and their attorneys Chuck McRae and David McCarty:

Judge Jordan ruled late this afternoon regarding the case Oliver and Jennifer Diaz had filed against former U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton, Commission on Judicial Performance Senior Counsel Darlene Ballard, and former Commission member Leslie Lampton.  The suit was about the confidential violation of their financial information after the federal cases against them were over.

It is a lengthy and complex opinion in which Judge Jordan examines the issues in the case.  Long and short:  The Diazes can maintain their lawsuit against Dunn Lampton for disclosing their personal confidential data and the Diazes may continue their suit against Leslie Lampton to the extent he violated state privacy laws. Darlene Ballard is removed from the suit.

I linked the Order on Scribd – it follows this bit of background taken from the Order.

These litigants have a long history that pre-dates the subject dispute. Between 2003 and 2006, Defendants/Counterclaimants/Third-Party Plaintiffs Oliver E. Diaz  Jr., then a Mississippi supreme court justice, and his wife Jennifer Diaz were prosecuted on various fraud, bribery, and tax evasion charges. Oliver Diaz was ultimately acquitted, and Jennifer Diaz pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

After the criminal prosecution ended, Third-Party Defendant and then-U.S. Attorney Dunnica Lampton filed a complaint with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance (“the Commission”) that initiated an investigation of Oliver Diaz. Continue reading “Do, Did, Dunn! Diaz case against former USA Dunn Lampton goes forward”

After the storm: A look back at Ike and Sonja Spears and Hurricane Katrina. "I think we have a problem with leadership in the city right now…."

After yesterday’s post on Sonja and Ike Spears was published the emails with additional links came pouring in and as I followed the links I was struck by the old adage about telling the truth because it is hard to keep lies straight. In this case the lies involve a sitting judge and that judge’s residency in New Orleans 1st City Court Judge Sonja Spears, who now claims, through a taxpayer paid spokesperson, that she moved her family to the Boston area for medical treatment.

Her hubby Ike wasn’t singing that song before Sonja got sick though, as this piece with Morehouse Magazine from 2006 indicates:

IKE SPEARS NEVER DREAMED that he would live in Boston, but that is where he and his family ended up after Hurricane Katrina. Spears, who was born and raised in New Orleans, his wife, Sonja, and sons, Diallo and Omari, initially rode out the storm in a Houston hotel.After nearly a week of taking in the devastating news about their city, the Spearses decided that it was time to head to his wife’s hometown. Soon they had an apartment, and the kids were enrolled in school. Continue reading “After the storm: A look back at Ike and Sonja Spears and Hurricane Katrina. "I think we have a problem with leadership in the city right now…."”

Slabbed checks another politician into the drunk tank: District Court Judge Jacques Sanborn welcome to Slabbed

Before we ran Jim Brown’s column on Louisiana’s dysfunctional DWI laws I had no clue the topic of drunk driving would prove to be such a target rich environment but now it appears that we are well on our way to accumulating an extensive body of work on this subject which also helps explain why Louisiana’s auto insurance rates are the highest in the nation. Along those lines I offer the Slabbed Nation District Court Judge Jacques Sanborn from St Bernard Parish. Let’s begin with the Times Picayune’s Bob Warren and recount how the Judge almost killed two motorist driving drunk perhaps receiving favorable treatment in the process:

St. Bernard Parish Judge Jacques Sanborn was cited for DWI early Thursday after crashing his Dodge Charger into another vehicle in Arabi, authorities said.

State Police Trooper Melissa Matey said Sanborn, 60, of Chalmette, was brought to an area hospital with unspecified injuries after the 3:32 a.m. crash. He refused to submit to a blood test, but the trooper who responded to the crash conducted a field sobriety test and smelled alcohol, Matey, a Troop B spokeswoman, said. Continue reading “Slabbed checks another politician into the drunk tank: District Court Judge Jacques Sanborn welcome to Slabbed”

AROD can't get no satisfaction: The 5th Circuit Appelate Review Panel tosses his judicial misconduct complaint

Folks the following Scribd embed speaks for itself. Anyone else notice Judge Biggers of Scruggs fame sat on the review panel?

[scribd id=31030553 key=key-o7j6be2j7ho6yn297rm mode=list]

After seeing Judge Berrigan skate on a clear conflict of interest Continue reading “AROD can't get no satisfaction: The 5th Circuit Appelate Review Panel tosses his judicial misconduct complaint”