NOPD Beefing-Up Presence Through the New Year

December 30th, 2011 | Posted in Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »

Visitors and citizens alike will see a largely increased NOPD presence downtown as the city celebrates New Year’s Eve and hosts the Sugar Bowl and BCS Championship games in the coming week. Starting December 31st and continuing until January 10th, NOPD not only plans to double its officer force downtown but to maintain or increase its patrols in other areas of the city.

NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas

This means more than 680 officers downtown on New Year’s Eve and 700 officers in the same area for the Sugar Bowl, on Tuesday. Throughout that span, during which the Saints play their final regular-season game against the Carolina Panthers, there will be at least 500 officers downtown each day.

The deployment strategy is essentially an “all hands on deck” policy. It will be done with no overtime or minimal overtime paid out to officers, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Ronal Serpas said.

New Orleans Traffic Camera Fines Often Never Paid

December 29th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Local Issues, NOPD, Traffic by bloom | No Comments »

As many as 40 percent of people that receive traffic tickets from New Orleans’ controversial system of cameras never pay them, according to records and city officials. In fact, the unpaid balance of over 5,000 speeding and red light tickets is roughly equivalent to what the city expects to collect from people that actually pay their fines this year.

The reason so many tickets remain unpaid is because there are relatively few consequences facing miscreants. The only hazard they face is a possible booting, because officials do not report non-payers to credit bureaus and the violations do not count as points against one’s license.

A traffic camera on Poydras. Photo courtesy of NOLA.com.

For the unlucky drivers who get booted, paying their entire owed balance is the only way to recover their vehicles, meaning they have to pay their fines plus any accrued late fees.

But offenders are most likely to get booted if they park in an area where meter maids regularly patrol, such as the Central Business District and the French Quarter. Chief Administrative Officer Andy Kopplin said that is changing: The city has begun sending parking officers into neighborhoods where they haven’t traditionally roamed.

City Hall also is considering stronger measures, such as seeking council approval to report violators to credit bureaus and tracking down flagrant offenders to boot their cars.

The biggest offender so far? One New Orleanian has racked up a total of 98 unpaid tickets, meaning he or she owes the city $17,045.

Local Musician Saved from Bank Robbery by Barking Dog

December 23rd, 2011 | Posted in Local Issues, NOPD, Personal Injury by bloom | No Comments »

If Glen David Andrews’ cousin had not brought his pit bull along for the ride, the New Orleans’ musician would have been one of the victims robbed at gunpoint outside a Capital One Monday morning.

At 8:45 a.m. Monday Andrews, his cousin and Blue, the pit bull, drove to the Capital One at Canal Street and South Carrollton Avenue. Andrews, a trombone player, planned to deposit $3,500 from the weekend’s work to divide among his six band members.

Around 8:50 a.m., they pulled up to the bank’s entrance to see about six people waiting for the bank to open. Two of those waiting were young men wearing hooded black sweatshirts and standing apart from one another.

Local Musician Glen David Andrews. Photo Courtesy of NOLA.com

As Andrews got out of the passenger side to join the group, Blue began to bark loudly. Soon afterwards, one of the hooded young men approached Andrews and said calmly “You better leave right now with that dog. We ’bout to rob the bank.”

Andrews turned immediately and got back in the SUV’s passenger seat, telling his cousin to drive away. As they were leaving the scene, Andrews and his cousin saw the hooded men pull bandanas over their faces to rob the waiting group at gunpoint. Andrews then dialed 911 from his cell phone.

The bank robbery was one of several on Monday and all occurred in the span of about an hour. New Orleans police believe all three incidents are related.

Judge Charged with DUI

December 23rd, 2011 | Posted in DUI/DWI, Legislation by bloom | No Comments »

Randal Todd, a western Pennsylvania judge was charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol after Mt. Lebanon police said he caused a minor accident Dec. 16.

Police said the 56-year-old Allegheny County judge was confused and smelled of alcohol when he was stopped at 8:51 p.m. on Shady Drive West.

Randal Todd, 2001 photo

The criminal complaint says Todd responded that he was “just a little drunk” when Officer Matthew Mankamyer asked if he’d been drinking. Investigators said Todd then failed two field sobriety tests.

Administrative Common Pleas Judge Jeffery Manning said Todd was temporarily assigned to civil cases until his criminal case is resolved.

Defense attorney Bob Del Greco called the arrest “embarrassing” and said Todd could be a candidate for a first-time offender program.

If you or anyone you know have been arrested for DUI/DWI, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at 504-599-9997 or online at www.bloomlegal.com for a free case evaluation. We are proud to now serve clients at both our original Warehouse District and new Metairie locations!

Top 20 Cities for DUI Citations

December 21st, 2011 | Posted in DUI/DWI, Traffic by bloom | No Comments »

Trade website, Insurance.com recently released a list of the top 20 cities for DUI citations in the country. Surprisingly to some, New Orleans has not made the list and 3 of the top 5 cities are in California:

1. San Diego
2. Los Angeles
3. Indianapolis
4. Jacksonville
5. San Francisco

Data was compiled by comparing the number of individuals requesting car insurance quotes who listed at least one DUI citation on their records with each city’s population information.

Although some of the cities are not necessarily the types of party towns that one would ordinarily expect to top such a list, there are many reasons that these cities may lead the ranks for DUI citations. Primary factors include the cities’ public transportation infrastructure, severity of local DUI/DWI laws, law enforcement resources and a number of other metrics.

6. Charlotte
7. San Jose
8. Fort Worth
9. Columbus
10. Phoenix
11. Austin
12. Dallas
13. Houston
14. New York
15. Chicago
16. San Antonio
17. Philadelphia
18. Memphis
20. Detroit

For the source of the report, please visit: Insurance.com

If you or anyone you know have been arrested for DUI/DWI, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at 504-599-9997 or online at www.bloomlegal.com for a free case evaluation. We are proud to now serve clients at both our original Warehouse District and new Metairie locations!

New Texas DUI Law Spreads to Louisiana

December 12th, 2011 | Posted in Courts, DUI/DWI, Local Issues by bloom | No Comments »

Texans arrested for drunk driving should prepare to roll up their sleeves for a blood test this holiday season. Cities and counties across the state are increasingly demanding that drunken driving suspects who refuse to take breathalyzer tests submit to blood tests that measure the amount of alcohol in their systems.

The blood test policy has grown from a procedure used in a few Texas towns to one that is used by police state-wide – especially during weekends and holidays when drunken driving is most common. The “No Refusal” initiative, as it is known, has also caught on in other states, including Florida, Missouri, Illinois – and, you guessed it – Louisiana.

The attraction for law enforcement and prosecutors is that blood evidence is a powerful tool in front of juries. Armed with blood evidence of intoxication, some prosecutors say they can win convictions in more than 90% of DUI cases.

Texas courts have uniformly held up the constitutionality of mandatory blood testing; however some argue it is an unreasonable search and seizure.

Often, lawyers say, defendants faced with blood evidence admit their guilt and do not bother with a trial.

If you or anyone you know has been arrested or convicted for a DUI, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at www.bloomlegal.com or at 504-599-9997 for a free consultation to discuss your options.

Former Police Officer Arrested for Road Rage on Frenchmen

December 9th, 2011 | Posted in DUI/DWI, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | 1 Comment »

A former Bossier City police officer was arrested on Frenchman in late November after a road-rage incident in which he allegedly pointed a gun at a cab driver’s face and claimed to still be a police officer while he was being taken into custody.

New Orleans police booked Jonathan Hobgood, 29, of Pearl River with impersonating a police officer, aggravated assault and illegal carrying of a weapon after the Nov. 27 incident, according to Criminal District Court records.

Courtesy of NOLA.com

Police said Hobgood was driving his truck on Frenchmen Street at 1:15 a.m. when a taxi stopped to unload passengers near the corner of Chartres Street. Hobgood then pulled his car next to the cab and began to yell obscenities at the driver. Detective Gus James saw the incident happening and approached the vehicles. It was at this point, police said, that Hobgood tried to drive off but instead hit the cab’s fender.

After hitting the cab, police said, Hobgood got out of his truck, walked up to the cab driver and pointed a gun at his face. James managed to position himself next to Hobgood and was able to disarm him before any further damage was caused.

As police handcuffed Hobgood, he told them he also was a police officer. Detectives who looked up Hobgood’s record found he was a seven-year veteran of the Bossier City Police Department, but that he resigned in 2007 – however no records exist to explain why he resigned.

If you or anyone you know is the victim of personal injury, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at www.bloomlegal.com or at 504-599-9997 for a free consultation to discuss your options.

9-year-old Boy Suspended from School After Calling Teacher ‘Cute’

December 5th, 2011 | Posted in National Issues, Sexual Harassment by bloom | No Comments »

A 9-year-old boy in North Carolina was suspended after calling a teacher “cute,” WSOCTV.com reports. The boy’s mother, Chiquita Lockett, said the principal of Brookside Elementary in Gastonia called her after the incident to say the comment was a form of sexual harassment.

“It’s not like he went up to the woman and tried to grab her or touch her in a sexual way,” Lockett said. “So why would he be suspended for two days?”

According to the station, a district spokeswoman said she could not go into detail, but said the boy was suspended for “inappropriate behavior” after making “inappropriate statements.”

The district’s Code of Conduct doesn’t list “inappropriate behavior,” but says “disruption of school” is punishable by five days of out-of-school suspension.

You can read the full story here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/04/boy-suspended-from-school-for-sexual-harassment-after-calling-teacher-cute/?google_editors_picks=true#ixzz1fgOnFa9D

If you or anyone you know have been accuses of sexual harassment, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at www.bloomlegal.com or at 504-599-9997 for a free consultation to discuss your options.

Former Police Officer Involved in Danziger Bridge Shooting Convicted

December 2nd, 2011 | Posted in Courts, Katrina, Local Issues, NOPD by bloom | No Comments »

Robert Barrios, a former New Orleans police officer who was involved in the Danziger Bridge shooting in Katrina’s aftermath, was sentenced to five years in federal prison Thursday. On September 4th, 2005, Mr. Barrios arrived at the Danziger Bridge with other police officers and shot at six unarmed civilians, two of which were killed. Barrios and the other officers claimed, falsely, that one of the men on the bridge shot at them, which provoked their actions.

According to FBI records and documents procured during the trial, Mr. Barrios had a shotgun with him on the bridge but never actually fired the weapon. Nevertheless, he was the last of the five officers involved to cooperate with the FBI in their investigation. Barrios’ actions, or lack thereof, in assisting the investigation and trying to conceal evidence incurred the ire of U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon, who imposed the maximum sentence of five years for conspiracy to obstruct justice.

In a brief statement after he was convicted, Barrios said “I hope the families find it in their hearts to forgive the role I played in this.”

If you are seeking legal representation in Louisiana, Bloom Legal is available 24/7 at 504-599-9997 or online at http://www.bloomlegal.com. Call us today for a free case evaluation.

Mayor Landrieu to Announce Plans for Occupy NOLA Camp

December 2nd, 2011 | Posted in Local Issues by bloom | No Comments »

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will hold a press conference this afternoon at 3:30 pm (CST) to announce the city’s plans with regard to the Occupy camp that has taken up residence in Duncan Plaza across from City Hall.

Photo Courtesy of NOLA.com

The Occupy NOLA Camp sprang up as an offshoot of the notable Occupy camp in New York City to voice frustration about American economic policy and income inequality.

NOLA’s Occupy Camp has been in place for a number of weeks and has usually supported numbers of approximately 100 protesters.

It is unclear what exactly the city proposes for the camp but it is clear that a focus on maintaining good public relations will be paramount. Administration officials and police departments in New York and California have recently come under heightened public scrutiny due to reports of excessive force used by police during the dispersement of their respective Occupy camps.

For current updates about the Occupy NOLA camp, visit NOLA.com

If you or anyone you know have been victims of excessive force used by police, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at www.bloomlegal.com or at 504-599-9997 for a free consultation to discuss your options.

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