There’s been growing support for the number two amendment option on the November ballot, but not all District Attorneys are on board with the move to require unanimous jury verdicts in felony cases. Supporters of the amendment say non-unanimous jury laws are racist Jim Crow relics, but Tangipahoa, Livingston, and Helena Parish District Attorney Scott Perrilloux says the US Supreme Court declared them constitutional, and disallows racial rigging of juries.
There’s another month left of the hurricane season, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says it’s highly unlikely we’ll be hit by a notable system in the next 30 days. Keim says if we do get hit, it would be a historic event.
The overnight hours saw wild weather passing through the bayou state and brought significant damage to areas across Louisiana, with downed trees, closed roads, and debris. Among the areas impacted, Washington Parish, where Chief Deputy Mike Haley says two elderly men were injured when the mobile home they were in was turned over by the force of the winds and says the area is fortunate to not have seen a worse impact.
Cut 7 (06) “…report of fatalities.”
Thousands lost power in central Louisiana today as the result of the nasty post-Halloween storm that moved through the area early this morning. Cleco spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says they’re calling in extra help to get the lights back on.