23rd Judicial District Court Judge Jessie LeBlanc resigns in a letter full of accusations about others involved in the court system. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart.”
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A Covington Senator wants to ban drivers from holding their phone. He spoke with Matt Doyle…
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The Dow Jones is down 12 percent in the last five days thanks to coronavirus-related fears. Matt Doyle has the story…
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23rd Judicial District Court Judge Jessie LeBlanc has resigned following her admission of her use of the n-word in an angry text message to former Assumption Parish Chief Deputy Bruce Prejean as their extramarital affair ended. Baton Rouge attorney Franz Borghardt says it would have been difficult for her to continue in her role.
Leblanc told a Baton Rouge TV station that she used the slur to describe a black sheriff’s deputy and black law clerk in her district.
In the resignation letter, LeBlanc admitted to the extramarital affair, but says that three members of her bench knew of her previous relationship, having direct meetings with two of them. She also said another judge in her district, Alvin Turner, was made aware in 2017 that his own law clerk allegedly had an affair with Prejean as well. Borghardt says he’s not sure that the letter was the proper avenue to shed light on those issues.
Cut 5 (09) “…cases before him.”
Turner has since accused LeBlanc of distorting the truth.
Borghardt says that the letter creates a lot of questions and feels that the letter’s accusations warrant an investigation.
Cut 6 (08) “…to the community.”
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Covington Senator Patrick McMath introduces this year’s effort to ban all handheld phone use for drivers.
McMath says passing the law would save a lot of lives by reducing the number of crashes, and reducing the number of crashes would also save state drivers a lot of money.
The Republican cited stats showing Louisiana claims the nation’s 7th highest distracted driving rate.
McMath says his legislation proposes fines for an offense that are about average for the 20 states that do have total handheld driving bans.
McMath’s bill would allow drivers brief use of their phone to click to receive a call, make an emergency call, or respond to their GPS,
Seven states, including Louisiana, have partial bans on handheld use, but McMath says partial bans like ours can be nearly impossible to enforce.
Last session a similar version of this bill cleared the House, then Senate, but a compromise effort returned to the House and failed by a few votes.
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Coronavirus fears have sent the stock market tumbling, with the Dow Jones dropping 1,100 points yesterday alone, and nearly 12 percent over the past five days.
Tulane Professor of Finance Peter Ricchiuti says the virus has exacerbated a market that was already showing signs of weakness thanks to the US’s growing debt, the high price of stocks, and…
Ricchiuti says the 12 percent loss is still shy of the 20 loss needed for the declaration of a “bear” market.
That might have older retirement investors spooked, but Ricchiuti says those close to retirement likely have moved more towards bonds, which is paying off right about now…
Ricchiuti says younger investors should look to take advantage of declining stock prices by boosting contributions to their retirement accounts.
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President of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Ronnie Anderson announces he is retiring this summer following 31 years of leadership. Anderson says it has been a great run and credits those he’s worked with over the years for contributing to that.
Cut 13 (10) “…many good people.”
Anderson doesn’t have too many plans laid out to occupy his time, but he knows he’ll be spending more time with family.
Cut 14 (10) “…stuff with them.”
Anderson says many of the people he has worked with have become close like family.
Cut 15 (12) “…really close to.”
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The 11th ranked LSU baseball team will spend the next three days in Houston facing Texas, Baylor and 15th ranked Oklahoma at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park. Coach Paul Mainieri says it will be an exciting weekend for his players and the fans
LSU will play Baylor on Saturday and then take on the Sooners on Sunday at 11 AM. Mainieri says Texas is undefeated on the season because they have not given up many runs….
LSU won Wednesday night seven to one over Louisiana Tech. Mainieri says he’ll use that same line-up over the course of the next weekend because at this point he feels that group gives them the best chance to win…
cut 18 (18) “is going to work”
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The Pelicans begin an important three-game homestand tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers make their only appearance at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans is three games back of Memphis for the final playoff spot in the West and Coach Alvin Gentry says with 24 games left, the margin for error is small…
Gentry says if the Pelicans are going to make the playoffs, they have to defend their home court…