In April 2019, a 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with the burnings of three African American churches in Louisiana. The suspect, Holden Matthews, is white. Not only did state prosecutors file charges against the suspect for arson, but they also added an additional charge by declaring the arsons a hate crime. Federal officials also…
Last fall, a couple was arrested and accused of producing child pornography. The case stunned many in Louisiana because the two people who got taken into custody were a high-ranking Sheriff’s Office deputy and his wife, a school teacher. According to the police report, officers arrested the couple after finding evidence which included photos of…
As one of the states hardest hit by COVID-19, Louisiana is under a stay-at-home order as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths have surged in the past few weeks. Gov. John Bel Edwards had issued the statewide stay-at-home order through April 13, but has since extended it to April 30. The order allows exceptions,…
In August 2018, two people went to visit an associate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola and were arrested. According to the Louisiana Department of Corrections, the two visitors were planning to do more than simply visit an inmate. They were also hoping to provide the inmate with drugs, the DOC noted. The case…
Last November, when Louisiana held its statewide election, something truly unique and historic happened. More than 36,000 Louisiana residents were eligible to vote for the first time in years, sometimes decades. They all shared the same reason for having been prevented from voting for so long: they were ex-felons. In 2018, Louisiana lawmakers voted to…
Louisiana is among the toughest states in the nation for repeat offenders, and the state has the country’s strictest life without parole sentencing laws. At least 15% of Louisiana’s prison population consists of people who are serving life without parole. No other state has as high a percentage. Louisiana has more inmates serving life sentences…
Louisiana may be well known for Mardi Gras and amazing southern dishes in New Orleans, but the Bayou State is also known for something else: gambling. Gambling is a top industry in Louisiana, where locals and visitors alike can experience the state’s delectable meals at restaurants located in casinos, or choose to do their gambling…
Most people think of the bail system as one where people who get arrested can post bail money to get out of jail until their trial begins. People who don’t have the cash for their bail can find a bail bonds agent to put up the funds. In Louisiana, though, the commercial bail industry has…
It’s been an ongoing debate in Louisiana that the state will benefit from reforming its system of juvenile justice. Last year, the state opted to have 17-year-olds arrested for nonviolent crimes viewed as juveniles in Louisiana’s criminal justice system. Known as the Raise the Age Louisiana Act, it was part of a package of juvenile…
Television news coverage showing teens getting arrested often focuses on violent incidents like robberies or sexual assault, heightening the public’s fears about juvenile crime. Studies, though, indicate that most juvenile offenses are actually non-violent, which is one reason why Louisiana has started taking a different approach to how youthful offenders are treated in the state’s…