Richard Webster

Despite being caught in a 2021 video ripping out Shantel Arnold’s hair, sheriff’s Deputy Julio Alvarado failed to report the incident. A new law authored by Arnold’s attorney will mandate excessive-force reporting for all law enforcement agencies.

Following a Verite News and ProPublica investigation, a district judge vacated the death sentence of Jimmie Duncan, whose 1998 murder conviction was based on allegedly fabricated bite mark analysis. It remains unclear if Duncan will walk free.

A Louisiana law cedes much of the power of the parole board to an algorithm that bars thousands of prisoners from a shot at early release. Civil rights attorneys say it could disproportionately harm Black people — and may even be unconstitutional.

Nine prisoners have walked free after evidence presented by members of a forensics team turned out to be wrong — yet one man still awaits execution based on their testimony.

Louisiana’s criminal justice system now treats all 17-year-olds as adults. Lawmakers lowered the age from 18 to curb teen violence, but nearly 70% of the 17-year-olds arrested in the state’s three largest parishes aren’t accused of violent crimes.

Louisiana is the fourth state to enact a so-called police buffer law, which allows officers to order people to keep their distance. Journalists say the law will make it harder to document when police use excessive force.

The Prison Litigation Reform Act was passed to curtail the number of lawsuits filed by inmates over conditions behind bars. It has kept courts from forcing Louisiana to overhaul the medical system in its largest prison.

Janice Parker has witnessed the failing medical care at Angola, the state’s largest prison, on her frequent visits to see her paralyzed son. Laws passed at the behest of Gov. Jeff Landry threaten to further strain that system.

The ruling was a victory for state attorney general, Jeff Landry, but defense attorneys say it could also help their clients’ requests for reduced sentences.

After 12 years behind bars, Markus Lanieux thought he had a deal for his release. Then Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a legal challenge that could derail hope for those imprisoned under the state’s “three strikes” sentencing rules.

Officers sat on the 16-year-old’s back for nine minutes before he died. They claim they needed to do so because he posed a threat.

Louisiana sued thousands of homeowners for not following the rules in how they spent recovery grants. After a joint news investigation, the governor announced Thursday that the state won’t try to collect the money.

The finding builds on earlier reporting, which found records were destroyed in the case of a 16-year-old boy who died while in custody of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

A lawsuit brought by the family of an autistic teen who died while in custody found the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office destroyed the disciplinary records of a deputy involved in the case.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated St. Bernard Parish, many residents didn’t receive enough money from the state to rebuild. Nearly half made the difficult decision to start over somewhere else.

For years, low-income residents of New Orleans have said the state’s Road Home program paid them less to rebuild their homes compared to wealthier residents. They were right.

Despite years of complaints against the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the DOJ has not stepped in to help. Following our investigation, the ACLU renews the call to action and has asked the DOJ to launch an investigation.