Folks I shook the St Tammany tree and managed to confirm certain aspects of the story of 22nd JDC JudgeMary Devereux’s chambers leaking a confidential juvenile hearing transcript to Times Picayune reporter Claire Galofaro so I could not let the latest mention of this budding saga on the pages of the Times Picayune go unmentioned. This is a tough subject because from what I gather there is a gag order in force so the parties to the case can’t talk about it. And a salient fact omitted from the first Times Picayune Op-Ed on the case is this case, while serious in the alleged planning of a school shooting, is in fact a matter involving juveniles and confidentiality rules clearly apply here. It is good to see the Times Picayune acknowledge this in their unattributed report today.
I laugh when I hear the so-called pros wring their hands while opining about unwashed bloggers and the perceived deficiencies in our craft. I mention this because the Times Picayune didn’t bother with words like alleged to qualify their reporting on the matter in St Tammany that is the topic of this post. No sir they published the names of the kids and flat-out stated they did the crime and alas this is something they share in common with Slabbed in our Grand Isle coverage. Some folks would label this type of reporting slander but perhaps it means the gang calling the shots at the T-P grew some nuts after Leary and the girls shook them down for money last year after they hung Rich Rainey out to dry on his Trout Point reporting. Or maybe it means they are mad because the lawyer for one of the kids, Jack ‘Bobby” Truitt caught Judge Devereux passing confidential hearing transcripts to the T-P beat reporter out of the back chamber door.
I had no clue who was representing whom in this case before today because I just don’t blog much on St Tammany. So I googled Truitt up and sure enough he appeared on 2 websites that I read, Slabbed and TulaneLink. He appears to have qualities the Times Picayune editors are now trying to exhibit such as having some sack as Truitt helped take out crooked Judge Alan Green of Operation Wrinked Robe Infamy.
I’d like to see the law that allows a Judge to leak confidential juvie transcripts from her chambers. I think this one will be a fun topic to watch on many levels.
sop