Reports and books abound these days regarding the high numbers of people that are wrongly accused of serious crime under our imperfect system of investigation and prosecution of crime. It is at least gratifying to see that a prosecutor in Louisiana has the integrity to…
Another significant drug bust was reported by state authorities in the statewide effort against drugs called ‘Operation Double Down’. The number of recent drug sweeps might indeed seem impressive in Louisiana if it wasn’t obvious that large numbers of drug charges keep happening, day after day and…
A police department would be well-advised to screen very carefully those individuals it employs to take charge of the drug evidence that it seizes and keeps for presentation in court. One who performs that particular job must have a mentality that can rise above greed…
It seems that many arrests for contraband start out with a car being pulled over for a non-operating tail or break light. The officer may then observe a weapon or drugs sitting in plain view. This justifies a search of the vehicle. That fairly common…
Arrests and prosecutions for hate crimes are a growing phenomenon throughout the country. In Louisiana, it’s a crime to commit an offense against person or property because of actual or perceived race, age, gender, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or ancestry. If…
Because physicians have a license to prescribe controlled substances, they always face a risk of being accused of abusing the privilege. If a physician is too lenient in prescribing controlled drugs or if he is easily subject to manipulation by drug criminals, he can be…
When someone is having emotional or mental problems, he or she may be prone to acting out some bizarre anti-social behavior. This is sometimes seen when a sports fan develops an unhealthy case of fan fervor. Recently, a sports fan was arrested and charged with…
Professional offices often handle hefty volumes of incoming cash and outgoing paperwork. In Louisiana, for example, many medical and dental offices take in substantial cash payments from their patients. Also, they process a great deal of paperwork pertaining to insurance claims. These activities open the…
One of the basic values of our criminal justice system is that an accused is innocent unless and until proven guilty. That rule, however, does not always function to protect the accused. For example, when a teacher in a Louisiana public school is arrested for…
Traffic stops are a significant source of arrests for drug offenses. Some advocates accuse authorities of making traffic stops solely to obtain drug arrests. When a traffic stop is made in Louisiana, there must first be reasonable factual grounds for making the stop. Without reasonable…