A bill introduced by Senator Royce Duplessis aims to provide a new legal remedy for people incarcerated under non-unanimous jury verdicts, also known as Jim Crow juries. The bill passed a Senate committee with bipartisan support in a 5-1 vote and now heads to the full Senate. Promise of Justice initiative Attorney Claude Michael Comeau testified in favor of the bill, saying it would allow those convicted by non-unanimous juries to seek post-conviction relief.
Lafourche Parish District Attorney Kristine Russell has been focusing on Child Abuse cases for 20 years. She testified against the bill, saying when she looks at her non-unanimous verdicts, there’s no question of guilt.
The number of students accepting TOPS funding has been going down for a few years. Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed says one requirement is that students attend a college within the state of Louisiana, and many students are being lured to other states.
Cut 9 (09) “…now for students.”
Amtrak will launch a new twice-daily service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross says the goal is to launch the new Mardi Gras line by mid-July.
Cut 16 (12) “…piece of track.”
The Mardi Gras line will also have four stops in Mississippi — Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Ross says the next phase is to connect New Orleans to Baton Rouge.