AM Newscall October 1, 2014

A state judge has ruled a Metairie man, who spent 17 years in prison for an attempted rape he did not commit, is entitled to up to $330,000 in compensation. Scott Carwile has the story…

CUT 1 (29) “reporting”

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According to a LSU Public Policy Research Lab survey, Republican voters in Louisiana are following the election more closely and are more committed to casting ballots than Democratic voters. Eric Gill reports…

Cut 2 (31) “reporting”

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According a recent Public Policy Poll, support for marijuana reform continues to grow in Louisiana. Michelle Southern reports.

Cut 3 (32) “reporting”

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A state judge has ruled a Metairie man, who spent 17 years in prison for an attempted rape he did not commit, is entitled to up to $330,000 in compensation.  40-year-old Nathan Brown was released from prison in June after DNA tests proved his innocence.  Innocence Project New Orleans attorney Kristin Wenstrom says Brown is not immediately eligible for the entire sum…

Cut 4  (11)  “was in prison”

State law caps compensation for wrongful imprisonment at $250,000 regardless of how long the person was incarcerated.  Brown is entitled to petition the court for an additional $80,000 for loss of life opportunities.  Wenstrom says that additional money can be for medical expenses, education, and job training…

Cut 5  (12)  “wait for months”

Wenstrom says this money doesn’t make up for 17 years of wrongful incarceration, but it will help Brown restart his life…

Cut 6 (10)  “foundation whatsoever”

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Public Service Commission member Foster Campbell says many Entergy Customers will soon receive a small refund after they were victorious in a fight to expose inflated bills. Campbell says the typical residential customer is in line for a one-time refund of $8. He says they brought the suit against Entergy after finding some red flags in their billing process…:

CUT 7 (08)  “a refund”

Campbell says the refund on a typical Gulf States residential customer bill will be about $15. He says they are voting on the refund at the PSC meeting today…:

Cut 8 (11)   “immediately”

Campbell says it’s the job of the PSC to make sure utility companies like Entergy are doing everything they can to keep bills accurate and not overcharge customers…:

Cut 9 (12)  “we’re gonna get it back” 

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According to a recent survey, Republican voters in Louisiana are following the election more closely and are more committed to casting ballots than Democratic voters. The results are part of LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab’s 2014 Election Report. Research Director, Dr. Michael Henderson, says the report shows Republicans, statewide, are more enthusiastic about the November elections…

Cut 10 (13)  “vote and turnout”

The survey shows 60-percent of Republicans surveyed are closely following the candidates and campaigns, compared to 41-percent of Democrats. The survey polled over 1,000 Louisiana adults. Henderson thinks the lack of enthusiasm among Democrats could hurt Senator Mary Landrieu…

cut 11 (07)  “to show up”

However, he says black Democrats in the Baton Rouge area are particularly engaged. The report shows an amazing 87-percent say they intend to vote in November. Henderson says that’s likely due to the 6th District Congressional race, in part, because it’s an open seat…

cut 12 (13)  “Democratic voters”

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According a recent Public Policy Poll, support for marijuana reform continues to grow in Louisiana. The survey done last week of a sampling of registered voters here found that 78% oppose sentences of longer than 6 months for pot possession — up from 59% last year. Louisiana American Civil Liberties Union Executive Dir Marjorie Esman

Cut 13 (08)  “possessing marijuana”

According to the results, 71% oppose life sentences for marijuana possession up from 65% last year. Esman says 2/3 of those surveyed also acknowledged they knew someone who has been in possession of marijuana…:

Cut 14 (10)  “that they know someone”

The survey also shows that 68% of people support letting certain seriously ill patients use medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription — up 3% from last year. Esman believes the numbers are rising because people are starting to realize Louisiana is so out of sync with the rest of the country on this issue…:

Cut 15  (11)   “thinking about it now

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U-L Lafayette will look to snap a three game losing streak on Saturday when they return to Cajun Field to host Georgia State. It’s the Sun Belt opener for the Cajuns who haven’t won since beating Southern in the season opener. Coach Mark Hudspeth hopes the adversity his team has faced in September will help them in conference play

Cut 16  (22)   “somebody else”

The Cajuns beat Georgia State 35-21 last season. The Panthers were winless last season, but Hudspeth says they have a much better team this year

Cut 17  (16)   “ahead of us”

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True freshmen wearing purple and gold will play big roles in Saturday’s SEC tilt between 15th ranked LSU and fifth ranked Auburn. Wide receiver Malachi Dupre was playing for John Curtis High School last season, but is not surprised by the increased playing time as the season goes on

Cut 18 (11)  “to that statement”

In his last two games, Dupre has caught seven passes, three of them have been for touchdowns. The six-foot-three wideout from New Orleans believes he’s getting better every week

cut 19 (13)  “team win”

Safety Jamal Adams, running back Leonard Fournette and quarterback Brandon Harris are three other true freshman who will see significant playing time Saturday. Harris will make his first start and Dupre says Harris will be handle the big stage

Cut 20 (12) ” is presented”