Tag: Judge Ivan Lemelle

Slabbed news miscellany: The news gods smile upon us.

So I got the music post up and was headed out the door to Buzzard’s Roost for a late Friday afternoon appointment when the phone rang and my appointment cancelled. Then Sock emailed me the link to a breaking story involving newly elected 24th Judicial District Judge Ray Steib, by all accounts a conservative guy, who nonetheless garnered the Slabbed Seal of Approval because we thought he was honest. In fact we still do think he is honest and impartial and we hope he will maintain a distance from the corrupting influences of Magnum JD.

Lest I digress further I’ll add the Louisiana Judicial Commission also evidently thinks Steib the honest sort as they absolved him of the complaints filed by his two former opponents for Joan Benge’s old seat on the court as reported today by Paul Purpura. This is rich because these guys who filed the complaints, Times Picayune endorsed Ungarino & Eckert partner Don Klotz and a former occupant of the “Warren Suite” at the Do Slabb Inn, Debbie Villio have all sorts of skeletons, especially Villio who popped back up on the Slab just this morning in connection with potential payroll fraud in Parish Government. Ungarino & Eckert, well let’s just say those guys don’t enjoy a very good rep among their peers at the present time.

Next up is a guest post by SupaSleuth in comments involving good old-fashioned kickbacks on various crime camera programs across the state of Louisiana.  Today the Tech Chief for Baton Rouge hit the exits as this scandal, with origins in the Nagin Administration, has spread like wildfire.

Finally the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals bitch slapped Judge Ivan Lemelle and his screwed up, pro defense pretrial ruling in the criminal case involving Dollar Bill Jefferson’s brother Moses Jefferson and his squeeze, former NOLA City Councilwoman Renee Gill Pratt.  Judge Lemelle has a record of some very dubious rulings in the insurance litigation though he remains Ashton’s favorite judge in all of the LAED.  😉 Continue reading “Slabbed news miscellany: The news gods smile upon us.”

BREAKING: Nothing to see here. Slabbed calls bull on Judge Lemelle and his last order in USA v Maier.

I just got word folks, the Canal Street Madam’s black book remains sealed despite what Judge Lemelle wrote in that order we profiled Saturday:

IT IS ORDERED that the Motion to Intervene (Rec. Doc. No. 320) is DENIED as baseless and frivolous. Release of the records at issue to Defendants in the above-captioned matter has already been authorized (see Rec. Doc. No. 217, pg. 3 of 14). Moreover, Record Documents 200, 209, 217, 221, 240, and 243 were released publicly by the Court’s unsealing order issued in January 2003 (see Rec. Doc. 264).

It is beginning to appear that the only thing baseless and frivolous about this is Judge Lemelle’s order, which neither addressed the motion at hand and is misleading in its text.

Sources with knowledge of the contents of the black book tell us that Vitter was a customer before Ms. Maier began taking names. But lordie lordie the names in the book I did hear!

A collective sigh of relief nows comes from the Ms. Maier’s rich, powerful and famous former johns.

sop

Slabbed goes under the covers and plunges into USA v Maier: Judge Lemelle declares open season on the Canal Street Madam's "black book". Is the speculation about Diaper David Vitter being a bad shot premature?

Initially I thought this post would be of the wham, bam, thank you ma’am variety where I could upload a few PACER docs and call it a day.  Instead, reading one court filing lead to another and then the googling commenced in earnest and this despite the fact I followed the Canal Street Madam case real time including the post Katrina introduction of Louisiana’s most famous whore hopper, Diaper David Vitter into the saga by Mark Moseley aka Oyster at Your Right Hand Thief, a blog which graced our original blogroll until Mark scored a gig at The Lens, an investigative blog which we now feature on our list of links.

Complicating matters is the introduction of new players to the saga and they had to be checked as well.  Throw in the fact a movie featuring Miss Maier’s story is being released as we speak and while I’ve had a consistent interest in this case we’re not interested in being an unwitting part of a viral marketing campaign in support of other people’s for profit endeavors, no matter how compelling the story. I satisfied myself such was not the case with the tips given us.

With that bit of background in place I’ll go ahead and put in a plug for the movie so our readers that are not so familiar with the Canal Street Madam case can catch up.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.950806&w=425&h=350&fv=]
 

The CBS investigative news magazine 48 hours also covered the case in depth in a 3 part report which can be found here. Continue reading “Slabbed goes under the covers and plunges into USA v Maier: Judge Lemelle declares open season on the Canal Street Madam's "black book". Is the speculation about Diaper David Vitter being a bad shot premature?”

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”

A quick note Ocean Oil v O’Dwyer

We are watching Judge Lemelle’s actions in Ocean Oil v O’Dwyer and though we don’t condone Ashton’s choice of words or many of his methods, the man deserves justice like anyone else and he is not getting it from Judge Lemelle. Is it proper for the Judge that disbarred Ashton to be hearing any other cases involving him given their history of personal animus? The only reason we have not posted in depth on this is time constraints.

Judge Lemelle should have taken his cue from Judge Biggers IMHO.

sop