An advocacy group is suing the Louisiana Department of Corrections over excessive incarceration. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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A judge denies a motion by prosecutors to lengthen the sentence of former DeRidder Mayor Misti Roberts, who was found guilty in June of having sex with an underage boy at her teenage son’s birthday party. Jeff Palermo has more.
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LSU is pushing forward with its additions of fifth-year and former NFL college football players as they await Thursday’s preliminary injunction hearing. Kace Kieschnick has more.
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***NOTE: As of the posting of this newscall, the storm was still a tropical depression. By the time you take the air Tuesday morning, there’s a good chance it will become Tropical Storm Edouard. Be sure to update the story accordingly if necessary.***
The far southwestern corner of Louisiana is bracing for landfall early this afternoon of what is expected to be Tropical Storm Edouard. LSU Health Climatologist Barry Keim says had the storm formed further out in the Gulf , the area could have been staring down a hurricane.
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Keim says in addition to a tropical storm warning, a storm surge watch is in effect for the southwestern coast.
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Keim says since this storm is expected to make landfall just west of the Texas state line as a tropical storm, the biggest danger will be heavy rainfall, although areas in Louisiana won’t have it nearly as bad as our neighbors to the west.
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An advocacy group is suing the Louisiana Department of Corrections over keeping people behind bars past their scheduled release dates. Promise of Justice Initiative Attorney Cecelia Kappel says prisoners being held past their scheduled release dates is happening far too frequently in Louisiana, and it’s been happening for many years.
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Kappel says the excess time prisoners are spending behind bars varies.
Kappel says she has no reason to believe that prisoners are being kept behind bars past their release date on purpose, but that’s no excuse.
Kappel says most of these people being held beyond their release dates are low-level criminals who had short sentences, and their prolonged incarceration has cost them their jobs in some instances. The Louisiana DOC says it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
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Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts is set to be released from jail this weekend, despite an effort by prosecutors to lengthen her sentence for having sex with a 16-year-old boy while she was the mayor. Pamela Sleezer is covering the case for the American Press and says it was a long shot that Judge Kent Savoie would add on to his original sentence.
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Roberts received a 90-day prison sentence in June and is set to be released on Sunday. The victim’s family is disappointed in the decision. Sleezer says Judge Savoie did admit he was bothered to hear during the victim impact statements that the victim’s family said the teen has “struggled” since the incident.
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Sleezer says Judge Savoie admitted his sentence was based on similar cases in Beauregard Parish that resulted in plea deals and acknowledged this was a trial that resulted in Roberts conviction, but that still didn’t change her sentencing.
The Beauregard Parish District Attorney was seeking the maximum sentence, which is ten years. Sleezer says Judge Savoie said that was a little overboard for a first-time offender.
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Roberts will have to register as a sex offender for the next 15 years.
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A legendary LSU football player from West Monroe has passed away. Former All-American Jerry Stovall, who finished second in the 1962 Heisman Trophy balloting, has died at the age of 85. Stovall’s nickname was “Mr. Everything” because he played four different positions at LSU from 1960 to 1962. In an interview with KNOE-TV in 2009, Stovall said he was able to excel on the football field even though he was not the best athlete.
At six-foot-two, 195 pounds, Stovall was a two-time All-SEC selection and rushed for more than one-thousand yards and had nearly 500 receiving yards in his career. Stovall also held the LSU record for highest punting average for a season, at 42 yards a punt. Stovall also had nearly 700 return yards on special teams and seven interceptions.
He was selected in the first round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals; Stovall played nine years in the NFL and was named an All-Pro twice. In a 2009 interview with KNOE-TV, Stovall credited his upbringing for his success.
Stovall returned to LSU to serve as the Tigers head coach from 1980 to 1983 following the death of Bo Rein. His best season was in 1982 when the Tigers went 8-3-and-1 and made the Orange Bowl.
Stovall was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and told KNOE-TV that he never thought such an accomplishment was possible.
Stovall also was Louisiana Tech’s athletic director from 1990 to 1993. He also served as President and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Sports Foundation and severed as board of directors for the Louisiana Senior Games.
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NFL rosters are down to 53 players as the preseason came to a close over the weekend. After a backup Q-B battle between Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson, the Saints decided to keep both on the active roster. Head coach Kellen Moore says they are both Q-B-two level players.
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New Orleans has not named which will be the immediate backup.
Two-time All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson made the team after spending less than one week of training camp in New Orleans. The Saints signed the nine-year vet last week, and he made two field goals and an extra point in the preseason finale versus the Cowboys, including a 53-yarder. Moore says he earned his spot.
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Charlie Smyth is staying on the team’s practice squad.
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LSU football coach Lane Kiffin says he spoke with the leaders of his team before deciding to pursue former NFL players seeking a return to college for a fifth season of eligibility. Kiffin admitted Monday that he struggled with the decision and wanted to do what was in the best interest of his players.
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Kiffin says former Ole Miss tight end Dae’Quan Wright is now practicing with LSU. Wright spent time in training camp with the Cleveland Browns before he was released on August 22nd.
The Tigers also have a commitment from former Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris. Harris was cut by the Saints in early August but has not yet practiced with LSU.
Kiffin also confirmed former Notre Dame edge rusher Junior Tuihalamaka is practicing with the Tigers. Tuihalamaka did not sign with an NFL team and is seeking eligibility after spending four years at Notre Dame.
Some have questioned whether adding players so close to the season opener could create chaos. Kiffin says a little internal chaos is okay.
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Yahoo Sports college football reporter Ross Dellenger reports the presidents of the other 15 SEC schools are unhappy that LSU could roster players who participated in NFL training camps. Even if a Baton Rouge judge rules the players are eligible, SEC members could seek to punish LSU by placing the program on probation or barring the Tigers from competing for conference championships.
Kiffin says his only focus is making LSU better.
Judge William Jorden is scheduled to hold a preliminary injunction hearing Thursday. He’s expected to decide whether the players are eligible to compete and whether the SEC can enforce its ban on players who signed contracts with NFL, NBA or WNBA teams.