The US Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case involving a Louisiana man that could result in retrials for all prisoners serving time on non-unanimous verdicts. The case is a follow-up to a decision by the court last year that non-unanimous convictions were unconstitutional. Attorney Andre Belanger argued that decision should be retroactive.
Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill argued against. An estimated 1,500 Louisiana inmates are behind bars right now due to non-unanimous convictions. Murrill said giving them all retrials would be a burden.
A homicide suspect out of Ohio was killed during a shootout with federal authorities at a motel in Pineville. 47-year-old James Edward Hawley, who also went by the alias of Ahmad Ben David, was wanted for the murder of 69-year-old Norma Matko and the disappearance of her 45-year-old daughter. FBI special agent John Fortunado.
The missing woman was found alive in the apartment.
Entergy Louisiana is on track to produce enough power from solar plants to fuel 60,000 homes within the next three years. Entergy Louisiana Director of Resource Planning Jonathan Bourge says six of Entergy’s either constructed or planned sites are clustered in southeast Louisiana, ideal for solar farming.