Day: November 12, 2010

Oops, did Silly Wabbit Bryon Lee get caught with hand in cookie jar – WDSU reports “Check records missing in Jefferson Parish”

From: LToups
Sent: Tuesday, October 19/ 2010 1:22 PM
Cc: Antoinette Scott; KSchrieffer; KGriffin; Maxcine Charles; LStockstiH; GBolotte
Subject: Missing Check Copies

This morning, l looked for check # 961200 made payable to Thompson Thibodeaux Community Development Organization for a $100,000 CEA and it is missing. This check copy was not missing when our summer workers accounted for all check copies two months ago. This is the third check copy that I have found missing since the summer workers completed this project. One check was to Jefferson Sports and Scholastic and the other to Visa. If you have any of these, please notify me immediately.

Fortunately, I had another copy of the check to Thompson Thibodeaux however; I am concerned that any documentation left in your work area may get misplaced.

REMEMBER – WE RECEIVED FORMAL NOTICE FROM THE US DEPARTMENT Of JUSTICE REGARDING THE PRESERVATION OF RECORDS. IT lS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT ALL RECORDS ARE RETURNED TO THE PROPER LOCATION AT THE END OF THE WORK DAY.

WDSU reports Check Records Missing in Jefferson Parish.

Copies of checks paid to nonprofit organizations by Jefferson Parish are missing, despite an order from the U.S. Attorney’s office to preserve all documents for a federal investigation into parish finances Continue reading “Oops, did Silly Wabbit Bryon Lee get caught with hand in cookie jar – WDSU reports “Check records missing in Jefferson Parish””

Mass resignations at the once storied firm of legendary litigator Wendell Gauthier? The answer my friend is blowin’ on the Slab, the answer is blowing on the Slab….

John Houghtaling and friends sporting their Sheriff's badges. Image courtesy of Magnum's facebook page.

As I’ve gotten to know elements of the greater NOLA legal community I’ve come to appreciate the legacy on the plaintiff’s side of the bar of the late Wendell Gauthier, who was a litigator’s litigator. Simply put the man had a special talent in reading and reaching juries. In fairness,  I’ve also heard the stories of the impact the man’s accumulated wealth had on elements of the local judiciary, especially at the zenith of his career with the tobacco litigation.  As Gauthier died relatively young many of his contemporaries and former partners are still around as are an entire generation of younger lawyers that learned the art of the arguing a case from Gauthier in the years before he died.

Enter Gauthier’s successor, John Houghtaling aka Magnum J.D., who dealt with Gauthier at the very end of his career before his untimely passing.  According to Magnum’s many detractors in the local legal community Houghtaling parlayed that brief association with the dying Gauthier to becoming his very young and aggressive successor.  Lawyers that knew Wendell Gauthier for decades were then chopped en mass in favor of expensive sports cars and young women. Continue reading “Mass resignations at the once storied firm of legendary litigator Wendell Gauthier? The answer my friend is blowin’ on the Slab, the answer is blowing on the Slab….”