October 13th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, DUI/DWI, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
A recent report on NOLA.com indicated that the city will be launching a new Detoxification Center that has been in the works for some time now. 
The center (which will be hosted by Odyssey House) is part of a new program aimed at reducing the number of arrests and incarcerations for public intoxication in New Orleans. According to the report, this is a step in the same direction as a number of other cities currently running similar initiatives.
The detoxification center will allow residents and tourists to spend a few hours sobering up rather than spending an extended period of time in jail and is expected to help reduce administrative costs and resource expenditures for NOPD. Funds for the center are coming from the Louisiana state general fund for substance abuse issues. This means that part of the center’s primary functions will be to funnel at-risk individuals into suitable substance abuse programs.
The detox center will only be available to those residents and visitors who are apprehended for public intoxication itself. Citation for any of the typically-associated violations such as disturbing the peace, resisting an officer, or public urination will result in disqualification for eligibility to visit the Detox Center. According to reports, this means that 75% of the typical public intoxication arrestee will not qualify for the program.
Those who do qualify to visit the Detox Center will be provided with dorm-style accommodations, a television and possibly a sedative or other drug to assist with sobriety as well as health assessment.
For the full report, visit NOLA.com.
If you or anyone you know are arrested for public intoxication, call Bloom Legal 24/7 at 504-599-9997 or visit us online at http://www.bloomlegal.com.
August 16th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues by bloom | 1 Comment »
30-year-old Jeremiah Lee Wright of Thibodaux who is accused of decapitating his 7-year-old son Jori Lirette, has been assigned an attorney experienced in death penalty cases for his upcoming trial.
Photo Courtesy of NOLA.com
Wright has allegedly confessed to the murder and decapitation of his wheelchair-bound son who suffered from cerebral palsy. Police say that motive is still not completely clear but that it would appear that Wright had tired of caring for the child. Jori Lirette’s head and body were found dumped outside of his home with Wright sitting nearby.
Kerry Cuccia of the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana has been appointed to defend Wright.
For more on this story, visit NOLA.com.
August 8th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
The Times-Picayune reported today that 71-year-old New Orleans resident, Joe Ann Everett, was arrested by NOPD on charges of aggravated arson and second degree murder. 
Everett is believed to be responsible for setting the gauze bandages of a fellow resident of the St Charles Health Center nursing home where she lived ablaze; ultimately causing his death.
The fire is understood to have been the result of an argument between Everett and a 41-year-old man from Houma named Valery Wyble.
No information is available at this point as to the nature of the argument between Everett and Wyble.
August 1st, 2011 | Posted in Courts, DUI/DWI, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
Welcome back to the Bloom Legal Video Blog!
For our seventh installment Attorney Seth Bloom, of Bloom Legal explains the relatively new law enforcement tactic of No Refusal DWI Weekends.
During these specific periods, law enforcement officials coordinate with local judges and district attorneys to allow police officers to receive on-the-spot search warrants allowing them to collect blood and other chemical samples from suspected drunk drivers. This practice is relatively extreme in that it does not allow any recourse to the individuals in question and is being credited with an increase in drunk driving arrests in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
If you have been arrested for DWI during a No Refusal Weekend or at any other time, call Bloom Legal today at 504-599-9997 for a free case evaluation to learn how we can help you today.
July 20th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, DUI/DWI, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
A recent report for WWL by Chris Miller indicates that the total number of highway deaths involving impaired drivers in Louisiana is down as a result of police increasing the number of DWI arrests in the state. 
According to law enforcement officials, the use of ‘no refusal’ periods is particularly responsible for the increase in arrests. ‘No refusal’ periods exist when drivers are incapable of refusing blood alcohol tests because judges are on call for a specific period of time to issue court orders requiring compliance immediately prior to arrest.
Additionally, a shift in the courts’ focus from repeat offenders to first-time offenders is expected to have reduced the number of fatalities as studies indicate that a relatively small minority of alcohol-related highway deaths occur involving individuals with prior DWI offenses.
The decrease in highway fatalities of late is certainly great news for all citizens of the state of Louisiana and we applaud the efforts of our law enforcement and judicial officials. We at Bloom Legal always recommend that our users exercise responsible driving habits and use a cab service or designated driver after consuming alcohol.
If for some reason you are arrested for DWI as a result of increased law enforcement measures and/or ‘no refusal’ periods, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at 504-599-9997 for a free case evaluation.
For Chris Miller’s original report, visit WWL.
July 18th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
A recent report from NOLA.com has indicated that Orleans Parish DA, Leon Cannizzaro’s, office has been having difficulty winning a large percentage of its cases in the last 3 months.
Photo Courtesy of NOLA.com
According to the report, cases across the board including violent, non-violent, drugs and sex crimes have seen a steep decrease in convictions despite efforts on Cannizzaro’s part to increase the number of cases that get pushed through to trial. Since March, the number of guilty verdicts won by the DA’s office in front of juries has dropped from 61% to 41%.
Mr. Cannizzaro has issued statements dismissing the importance of this decline, indicating that the percentage of the approximately 3,000 cases his office handles at any time is not primarily composed of jury trials.
Still, amid high profile controversies and pending court cases which involve NOPD officers, there certainly does seem to be widespread distrust of the police department in the city of New Orleans which has been hazarded as a possible reason for the decrease in convictions at trial.
For the full report and statistics about the DA’s success rate, visit NOLA.com .
June 24th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
Jury Selection was completed Thursday in the Danziger Bridge Shooting Trial of 5 NOPD officers. 
The sitting jury is reported to consist of 7 men and 5 women. Of these, 10 are white and 2 are African American.
While all of the jurors hail from across the metropolitan area, only one is actually from the city of New Orleans.
Opening statements in this developing trial are set for Monday morning.
For more on the recent Danziger Bridge Shooting trial developments, visit NOLA.com.
June 22nd, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »
The trial of 5 current and former NOPD officers accused of police misconduct in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina begins in federal court today.
Photo Courtesy of NOLA.com
The Danziger Bridge shooting, as it has become known, resulted in the deaths of 2 individuals and the injury of an additional 4 and the case against the officers represents one of the largest police misconduct cases ever prosecuted by the Justice Department.
At the heart of the case, which has garnered a large amount of national media attention much along the lines of the recently concluded Henry Glover trial, is whether or not the extenuating circumstances of Katrina’s aftermath can be used as a defense for the conduct of the police officers in this situation.
Jury selection which begins today could last a number of days as members of the defense and prosecution teams attempt to screen out candidates who may have a conflict in sitting for the trial.
For a detailed recap of the Danziger Bridge shooting including a diagram of the location, visit NOLA.com.
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