Archive for February, 2010

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While awaiting trial for murder, New Orleans man gets life sentence for past crimes

February 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »


By Gwen Filosa, The Times-Picayune
February 03, 2010, 11:53AM

clifford-pierce.jpgOrleans Criminal Sheriff’s DepartmentClifford G. PierceAn Orleans Parish judge has sentenced Clifford Pierce, 35, to life in prison without parole for being a quadruple offender, three years after a jury found him guilty of possession of a stolen car.

But between the guilty verdict, delivered July 31, 2006, and his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Pierce was freed on an $8,000 personal recognizance bond and eluded Criminal District Court until March 2008, when he was tracked down in a Georgia jail, according to the court minute records.

Having posted bond and given a Shreveport home address, Pierce was free to murder his girlfriend in eastern New Orleans on June 2, 2007, prosecutors say.

Pierce is awaiting trial accused of the second-degree murder of Tammie Johnson, who was killed at 4817 Rosalia Drive. District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office secured a murder indictment from a grand jury last fall.

Johnson, 36, died of a shotgun blast to the chest.

Pierce has a motion hearing on the murder case scheduled for Wednesday before Judge Frank Marullo, but another judge, Lynda Van Davis, presided over the stolen car case that landed Pierce a life sentence.

Davis deemed Pierce a multiple offender after a hearing Tuesday, and sentenced him to life.

State Police said Pierce confessed to killing Johnson during an argument, and then taking off in her 2000 Ford Expedition, which was later found in Natchitoches.

Pierce stole two other vehicles after he dumped the Expedition, state troopers said, and also pawned Johnson’s jewelry. Pawn shop receipts led troopers to Pierce, who was in Georgia.

Pierce was serving time in Cobb County, Ga., for unrelated crimes when State Police took his confession to the New Orleans homicide. Pierce was arrested in June on a murder warrant and booked into Orleans Parish Prison.

The stolen car case began with Pierce’s arrest June 12, 2005, about two months before the Hurricane Katrina disaster crippled the New Orleans criminal justice system.

Pierce’s trial was among the first to take place post-Katrina at the Tulane Avenue courthouse on June 5, 2006, when a jury couldn’t reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors, then led by DA Eddie Jordan, secured a guilty verdict a month later at a new trial.

Drew Brees has everything but a Super Bowl ring

February 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Local Issues, Sports by bloom | No Comments »


By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune
February 03, 2010, 6:00AM

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. ­- On the surface, it appears New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has it all — a multi-million-dollar contract, a stately Uptown home, a beautiful wife, a 1-year-old son — and the national spotlight.

drew_brees90.jpgTed Jackson/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was the man of the hour at Super Bowl XLIV media day Tuesday in Miami.But some guys never have enough.

There’s still that one thing that keeps Brees from feeling complete and keeps him throwing passes long after practice is over.

“For me as a quarterback and as a guy who is very competitive, I’m in this league to win championships, ” Brees said Tuesday at Super Bowl media day. “I don’t see any other reason why you would want to play this game. You play this game to be the best. You play this game to win championships, especially at the quarterback position you are measured by wins and losses, you are measured by championships. And we have no greater opportunity than this week to have that chance.”

Brees, a veteran of nine NFL seasons, finally gets his shot at fulfillment, as he has led the Saints to Super Bowl XLIV, the first title game appearance for both him and the Saints’ franchise.

Already an accomplished quarterback with four Pro Bowl selections, two NFL records and an NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, Brees is on the cusp of pushing himself into the next stratosphere of quarterbacks.

But it likely will take a Super Bowl ring to get him there.

“I think it is fair to say that, ” said Saints reserve quarterback Mark Brunell, a 17-year veteran who has played in three Pro Bowls. “For his legacy to play at the level that he has played and to get a Super Bowl (win) would be huge. It would take him into that upper echelon as far as coverage in the media is concerned and how people view him. So this game is big.”

At the moment, Brees is widely viewed by the national media as the NFL’s third-best quarterback. He’s typically placed on the list behind the Colts’ Peyton Manning and the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady, both of whom have Super Bowl titles.

Brees has often outplayed both, though, at least in a statistical sense.

Click to launch the graphic.

Since signing with the Saints in 2006, Brees has thrown for more yards than Manning, the gold standard of NFL quarterbacks, and Brady. In that span, Brees has passed for 18,298 yards, followed by Manning’s 16,939 and Brady’s 12,807.

Brees and Manning also have the same number of touchdowns passes (122) during that span, and Brady, who played in just one game in 2008, has 98.

Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino said Brees has a chance to cement his place in history Sunday.

Marino should know.

He continues to be haunted by never winning a Super Bowl in his remarkable career. Marino did get to one, guiding the Dolphins to Super Bowl XIX, a 38-16 loss to the 49ers in his second season. But he never returned to the title game.

“What (Brees) has shown the last four years and the way that he has been able to come back from injury, yeah, you have to consider Drew Brees a great quarterback, ” Marino said. “Sometimes he has been going under the radar, but this is the biggest stage. This is one of those things that if you get the opportunity you have to take advantage of it, because you never know when you’ll get back.

“And that’s what happened to me. I thought I’d be in a lot of Super Bowls, but I only went to one. But he has really played at a high level the last four years. It’s been fun to watch.”

Indeed, Brees’ passing heroics have caught the nation’s eye.

While Brees continues to chase his championship dreams, he’s become a TV/media darling, gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated last week, appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Monday, The Jay Leno Show earlier this season and has an interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric slated to air Friday.

He’s also been an ambassador of the city, spreading the word and lending a helping hand in the Katrina recovery process.

“You just kind of take it in stride, ” Brees said. “The fact is I am the quarterback of this team, and that’s a tremendous responsibility. I do whatever I can to help us win not only in my preparation and performance but what I try to do as a leader, and the responsibility that I have and the platform. I have to really make a difference in the community and just to be a good person. I take all those things very seriously.”

He’s certainly made a difference with the Saints.

“Just hearing his words inspire you to go out there and do the best that you can, ” running back Pierre Thomas said. “You can see the passion. You can hear the passion in his voice when he speaks to you or just a one-on-one conversation. His passion is so heart-warming. It makes you want to go out there and do the best that you can and play all out for this guy.

“He really wants to be perfect. Nobody’s perfect but he really strives to be perfect. For a guy like that you really want to play hard for him.”

For a guy like Brees, the Saints want to help the quarterback, who seemingly has it all, get the one thing left in life he still desires. They want to help get him that coveted Super Bowl ring.

“We win this football game and his star is only going to get bigger and bigger, ” Brunell said. “That’s what we are hoping for. He’s a hard worker and a great guy. And I hope we win this football game, not only for the Saints but for Drew Brees because he deserves it.”

Nakia Hogan can be reached at nhogan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies stumble across methamphetamine lab and sleeping suspect

February 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Drugs, Local Issues by bloom | No Comments »


By Michelle Hunter, The Times-Picayune
February 02, 2010, 6:15PM

Authorities looking to arrest a suspect wanted for auto theft stumbled across a methamphetamine lab operating out of a Metairie apartment Saturday afternoon.

Keith Miller.jpgJPSOKeith MillerJefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies evacuated the other apartments connected to Unit C at 1208 Clearview Parkway after they found lab bottles, fertilizer and the other chemicals associated with the production of methamphetamine.

They also found their suspect, Keith Miller, 27, of Metairie, fast asleep on the couch, the arrest report said. Miller was wanted by authorities for stealing his grandmother’s Chevrolet Impala on Jan. 27, according to arrest and incident reports.

Deputy Anna House received a tip that Miller and the vehicle would be at a Clearview Parkway apartment, and House called for back-up when she spotted the car in a driveway about noon, the incident report said. After knocking on the door a few times, an unidentified woman exited the apartment and told deputies Miller was inside asleep, but slumbering next to two loaded guns.

Deputies crept inside and confiscated the guns before waking Miller. That’s when deputies noticed the lab set-up and called in narcotics officers, the incident report said.

Methamphetamine, also known as “poor man’s cocaine” is a highly addictive stimulant that can be injected, swallowed, snorted or smoked. Meth labs are usually found in rural areas because of the noxious fumes created during production. The labs are also dangerous because the fumes can spark fires or explosions.

A search of the room turned up 1.6 grams of methamphetamine, and .5 grams of marijuana, in addition to Miller’s grandmother’s stolen credit cards and checks.

Miller did not live at the Clearview Parkway address. Authorities did speak to the person who rents the residence and he admitted knowing that Miller was cooking meth in the apartment, an arrest report said. The renter has not been arrested but the matter is still under investigation, according to Sgt. Larry Dyess, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Miller was taken to the Sheriff’s Office investigations bureau at 725 Maple St. in Harvey for processing and questioning. But during a moment without restraints, he escaped and fled the building, according to an arrest report. Deputies recaptured him around 6:22 p.m. in the parking lot of Marshalls clothing store, 1500 West Bank Expressway, Harvey.

Miller, of 4741 Hastings St., Metairie, was booked with creation of a clandestine lab, simple and aggravated escape, resisting police by violence, simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of stolen property less than $300, two counts of illegally carrying a weapon, auto theft, possession of stolen property greater than $500, drug possession with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of stolen things, use of a firearm in connection with drug activity and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Miller was being held Tuesday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna in lieu of $627,500 bond for the most recent charges
Michelle Hunter can be reached at mhunter@timespicayune.com or 504.883.7054.

Murder warrants issued in death of Harvey handyman

February 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Local Issues by bloom | No Comments »


By Allen Powell II, The Times Picayune
February 02, 2010, 4:00PM

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is searching for two men in connection with the murder of a Harvey handyman inside his home Friday, and have already arrested a woman they believe was involved in the incident.

Terrol Cole.jpgTerrol ColeInvestigators have issued first-degree murder arrest warrants for Terrol Cole, 27, of Port Allen, and Darnell Turner, 23, of 3000 Destrehan Avenue in Harvey in connection with the killing of Donald Bates inside his home in the 2200 block of Eastmere Boulevard on Friday, said Col. John Fortunato, a sheriff’s spokesman.

Investigators arrested Rhonda Skinner, 39, of 917 Beechgrove Boulevard near Westwego on Saturday, and booked her with second degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Bates, 53, was found shot to death inside the home after police responded to a report from his wife after she returned to the house and found the door ajar and blood on the walls and floor. Investigators said that after Bates was killed, someone stole his white work van, which was later found burned in Marrero.

Fortunato said authorities believe Skinner helped Turner and Cole plan a robbery of Bates, and she called the victim shortly before the incident was about to take place. Authorities were able to locate her after they learned of that call, and she told them about Turner and Cole’s role in the incident, he said. She said the robbery turned into a homicide for an unknown reason, and that Cole and Turner beat Bates before shooting him.

Darnell Turner.jpgDarnell TurnerBates’ home was ransacked when deputies arrived and there was clear evidence of a struggle. There was blood smeared on the floor and walls, furniture had been tossed around the room and destroyed, and a baseball bat covered in blood was found in a rear bedroom, according a police report. Investigators also located numerous.38 caliber bullets and shell casings of the same caliber in the home.

Fortunato only identified Skinner as an “acquaintance” of Bates. Turner and Cole both have lengthy arrest records. Turner actually stood trial for second degree murder in 2003, but was acquitted.　

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New Orleans Saints NFC championship tickets warrant jail pass for Jefferson Parish inmate

February 1st, 2010 | Posted in Local Issues, Sports by bloom | No Comments »

By Paul Purpura, The Times-Picayune
February 01, 2010, 6:00PM

A 24th Judicial District Court magistrate released a Metairie man from jail for two days last month so he could attend the Jan. 24 NFC championship game.

new_orleans_saints_sign.JPG

But James Buisson, 31, who was jailed on a probation violation, returned two days late to the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center.

The order from Magistrate Commissioner Carol Kiff freeing Buisson caught correctional officers by surprise, leading them to double check with the magistrate to ensure it was accurate, Sheriff Newell Normand said.

“Release from 1-23-10 at noon until 1-25-10 at noon so he can go to the Saints-Vikings game – He has tickets,” Kiff wrote in the Jan. 19 order.

Normand said he learned of Kiff’s directive when Buisson failed to return to jail on time.

“That’s the first time that I’m aware of that we let somebody out to see a Saints game,” Normand said Monday.

Kiff declined comment Monday. Chief Judge Robert Murphy called the action “inappropriate” because she amended Buisson’s sentence on her own without giving prosecutors a hearing in which to object.

“The district attorney had no opportunity to do that, and the commissioner was in error,” Murphy said.

Buisson remains in jail, said Normand, who on Thursday notified 24th Judicial Distrct Judge John Molaison of Kiff’s decision. Molaison, the deputy chief judge who oversees commissioner’s court, said he will present the matter to a court committee.

Kiff is appointed by the judges to oversee some preliminary criminal matters, including signing warrants and determining whether police have enough evidence to keep people in jail.

Bussion’s attorney, Gerry Archer, said Monday he left court Jan. 19 after Buisson admitted to the probation violation and was taken into custody. He said he was unaware Kiff released his client until a court clerk notified him the day after the game that Buisson hadn’t returned to jail.

“As an officer of the court, … I told him to report immediately,” Archer said. “He turned himself in the following day.”

He said he didn’t ask Buisson if he attended the Saints game. Buisson could have asked to delay the hearing until after the game but did not, Archer added.

“She probably gave him credit for taking responsibility for his actions,” Archer said of Buisson acknowledging the probation violation.

The matter stems from Buisson’s Feb. 15, 2009, arrest, when deputies saw him discard “a clear plastic baggie” of marijuana onto the jail floor during booking, according to a probable cause affidavit. The affidavit does not specify why Buisson was arrested in the first place.

Buisson pleaded guilty April 15 to misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Kiff, who presided over the case after former Judge Joan Benge transferred it to commissioner’s court, sentenced Bussion to three months in jail. But Kiff suspended the sentence and gave him a year of probation, records show.

In July, Buisson tested positive for marijuana and was $841 in arrears in paying his probation fees and court costs, according to the Jefferson Parish district attorney’s office. On Jan. 19, Kiff reinstated the original 3-month jail sentence, but she added the caveat that he be allowed to attend the Saints game.

“I can’t believe this,” Beverly Siemssen, president of Victims and Citizens Against Crime, said Monday of Buisson’s release. “I mean, how is this going to teach him a lesson?”

She likened Kiff’s decision to former Judge Martha Sassone allowing rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller to leave the state to promote a book and meet with a record executive while he was awaiting trials for murder in Jefferson Parish and attempted murder in Baton Rouge. Miller later pleaded guilty in Baton Rouge and was convicted in Jefferson Parish.

Siemssen said she could understand an inmate being temporarily released if there was a death in the family or to see a terminally ill family member one last time, especially if the inmate is a first-time offender. “That would be the only reason,” she said

But never to attend a Saints game, she said.

“He does the crime, he does the time, whether he has tickets or not,” Siemssen said. “That’s no reason to let him go.”

Buisson plead guilty to six counts of simple burglary 2002 and was sentenced to three years in prison, in a series of automobile break-ins. In 2007, he pleaded guilty a misdemeanor charge of battery on a Harahan police officer, for which he was sentenced to six months in parish jail.

Buisson also has arrests for narcotics-related charges in New Orleans. Records show he was never prosecuted.

Paul Purpura can be reached at ppurpura@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3791.

Orleans Parish grand jury indicts three in connection with four New Orleans homicides

February 1st, 2010 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »

By Bob Ross, The Times-Picayune
January 30, 2010, 2:00AM

An Orleans Parish grand jury on Friday indicted three people in connection with four homicides, all of which happened in recent months, authorities said.

Bryan Hill, 30, was indicted with two counts of second-degree murder for the killings of a man and woman who were shot as they left a 7th Ward home in August, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans.

New Orleans police say Hill ambushed Charles Wilson Jr., 27, and Maggie Russell, 49, about 5 p.m. on Aug. 9 as they walked out of a house in the 2500 block of New Orleans Street, near the corner of North Dorgenois Street.

Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said, while Russell died a short time later at Interim LSU Public Hospital.

If convicted, Hill — who was also arrested two years ago, but never prosecuted in the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Tyronne “Big T” Johnson Sr. — will spend the rest of his life in prison or face execution.

In the second indictment, Lloyd Barnes, 48, was charged with two counts of attempted second degree murder and one count of second-degree murder, stemming from the Oct. 18 death of Korey Griffin.

Police said at the time that Griffin, 31, and a 21-year-old man were shot while trying to buy drugs in the 2000 block of Second Street in Central City.

Another man reportedly approached the pair, drew a handgun and said: “You know what’s up,” deputies said at the time. He then fired several bullets “into the buttocks and legs” of Griffin and his companion and ran away, a police incident log stated.

The 21-year-old survived, but Griffin died later that night at the Interim LSU Public Hospital, authorities said at the time.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence in prison upon conviction.

In the third indictment, Kevin Franklin, 35, was indicted with one count of second-degree murder in the Nov. 14 death of Alex Soder in the 1900 block of Joliet Street, authorities said.

Hill’s bail was set at $1.5 million after he was indicted; Barnes’ was set at $2 million and Franklin at $1.1 million.

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