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In New Orleans, you can get 5 years in prison for a joint of marijuana
Drug war defenders are indeed fond of pointing out how hard it is to actually get jail time for using drugs. So they should probably stop New Orleans District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson before she finishes filling Louisiana's prisons with the pettiest marijuana users she can find:
The flood of new felony charges didn’t target murderers, rapists or armed robbers — they targeted small-time marijuana users, sometimes caught with less than a gram of pot, and threatened them with lengthy prison sentences.
The resulting impact has clogged the courts with non-violent, petty offenses, drained the resources of the criminal justice system and damaged low-income African-American communities, [Orleans Public Defenders Office Chief of Trials Steve] Singer said.
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A first-time marijuana possession charge in Louisiana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison but typically results in a small fine. A second offense is a felony that can carry up to five years in jail and a third offense up to 20 years.
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Some say Landrum-Johnson’s decision to buck history and charge marijuana users with felonies is a political decision meant to assist in her run for Orleans Criminal District Court Section E judgeship. By prosecuting thousands of marijuana possession cases as felonies, Landrum-Johnson can then go to the voters of New Orleans and claim she is “tough on crime,” [Tulane University criminologist Peter] Scharf said. She can point to the massive increase in felony prosecutions under her tenure without explaining that those prosecutions were for people holding joints and not guns, he said. [New Orleans CityBusiness]
Only Landrum-Johnson knows what her motivations are, so I won't belabor that point. She is presiding over a deliberate effort to place large numbers of small-time marijuana users in prison for 5-20 years and there exists no noble motive for doing that. Whether she believes this can help her become a judge, or she possesses a virulent and vindictive animosity towards people who smoke marijuana, or she is merely detached utterly from the consequences of the authority she wields, the result is disastrous and the justification is a fraud.
This, I'm afraid to say, is the reality of America's war on drugs. Everyday our drug policies produce outcomes none of us intended and almost none of us support. The idea of imprisoning nonviolent drug users is so obviously unpopular that the DEA has a whole page arguing that it almost never happens. But will anyone in Washington, D.C. approach the New Orleans DA's office and tell them to stop? Of course not. The very people who so vigorously argue the scarcity of such injustices are the same ones who work tirelessly to conceal them and enable their continuation. Drug war defenders are indeed fond of pointing out how hard it is to actually get jail time for using drugs. So they should probably s... more -
Collision between tug, tanker closes Mississippi River at New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS: The Coast Guard closed 29 miles (47 kilometers) of the Mississippi River at New Orleans after a 600-foot (183-meter) tanker and a barge loaded with fuel oil collided, breaking the barge in half.
Nobody was injured, but more than 419,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of heavy fuel oil spilled from the barge, said Lt. Cdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau, a Coast Guard spokeswoman
The double-hulled tanker Tintomara was loaded with about 4.2 million gallons (15.9 million liters) of biodiesel bound for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and nearly 1.3 million gallons (4.9 million liters) of styrene bound for Hamburg, Germany, but was not leaking, said Michael Wilson, president of ship management company Laurin Maritime (America) Inc. in Houston. The company is a subsidiary of Goteborg, Sweden-based Laurin Maritime AB.
The Liberian-flagged tanker is owned by Whitefin Shipping Co. Ltd. of Gibraltar. The tanker had only minor damage, the management company said.
The collision occurred about 1:30 a.m. CDT (0630 GMT) just upriver from the Crescent City Connection, a pair of bridges between New Orleans' east and west banks. NEW ORLEANS: The Coast Guard closed 29 miles (47 kilometers) of the Mississippi River at New Orleans after a 600-foot (183-meter) tank... more -
Blackwater says oversight and media scrutiny not part of master plan
Blackwater Worldwide said Monday that it planned to shift away from the lucrative security contracting business because U.S. government scrutiny and negative media attention had made the business too costly.
Blackwater executives say that they have unfairly become a symbol for all contractors in Iraq and that the company has become a flash point for those opposed to the war. It plans to focus on training, aviation and logistics.
Blackwater has been under intense scrutiny since September when its security contractors opened fire in a crowded Baghdad intersection while responding to a car bombing. Seventeen Iraqis were killed, prompting congressional hearings and an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
In 2005 and 2006, security jobs, including guarding U.S. diplomats in Iraq and helping to secure New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, represented more than 50 percent of the company's business.
Security now represents about 30 percent of revenue, and Gary Jackson, president of Blackwater, said it would go much lower.
"If I could get it down to 2 percent or 1 percent, I would go there," he said, adding that "security was not part of the master plan, ever."
Blackwater Worldwide said Monday that it planned to shift away from the lucrative security contracting business because U.S. governmen... more -
Smoke Screen - New Orleans
This is the second story in a three-part series on how police and prosecutors are spending
public resources seeking lengthy sentences for non-violent, low-level crimes.
Shortly after Keva Landrum-Johnson took over as district attorney following Eddie Jordan’s resignation Oct. 30, hundreds of new felony cases flooded the public defenders office, overwhelming the 29 defense attorneys.
After New Orleans regained its title as the nation’s murder capital, the public demanded its city leaders crack down on violent crime. By filing hundreds of new felony cases each month, it appeared as if the new DA heeded their call.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case, said Steve Singer, chief of trials for the Orleans Public Defenders Office.
The flood of new felony charges didn’t target murderers, rapists or armed robbers — they targeted small-time marijuana users, sometimes caught with less than a gram of pot, and threatened them with lengthy prison sentences.
The resulting impact has clogged the courts with non-violent, petty offenses, drained the resources of the criminal justice system and damaged low-income African-American communities, Singer said.
“We hardly have enough lawyers to handle the serious, violent cases, and now we’re jamming up the entire system with marijuana cases,” Singer said. “We never used to see this happen, then all of a sudden every second and third marijuana offense starts coming in as a felony.”
Change in tactics This is the second story in a three-part series on how police and prosecutors are spending ... more -
Former New Orleans Rapper Gunned Down In His FEMA Trailer
A local rapper gunned down tonight while sleeping in his FEMA trailer. It happened just before 4:30 this morning
On the rap scene he was known as "Sporty T" with at least 20 cds to his name. A rapper since he was 14, Sporty T often rapped about his life which involved another violent episode. Sporty T wrote this track "Brand New Day" in 2001 after he was shot five times by his then girlfriend.
A local rapper gunned down tonight while sleeping in his FEMA trailer. It happened just before 4:30 this morning ... more -
New Flooding in New Orleans
Its not everyday that a story literally shows up on your front doorsteps. Check out what's happening with New Orlean's Infrastructure nearly three years after Katrina.
How can you tell if the infrastructure in New Orleans is sound? Should what the Army Corps of Engineers does be taken as final fact and truth? Should they be critiqued? Ever???
See how New Orleans residents are feeling about their relationship with the government agency responsible for keeping them safe.
Its not everyday that a story literally shows up on your front doorsteps. Check out what's happening with New Orlean's Infrastructure... more -
C-Murder's House Arrest Rules Tightened By Judge
“All prior home incarceration orders are hereby revoked and Corey Miller is to remain on home incarceration,” Sassone said via a court order. “[Miller] is to be confined to his residence and is not to leave his residence until further orders of the court.” “All prior home incarceration orders are hereby revoked and Corey Miller is to remain on home incarceration,” Sassone said via a court... more
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Google’s debate - let's hear all the voices
For the first time in recent history we have an opportunity to listen to all the presidential candidates debate in an open forum.
I would personally like to see Cynthia McKinney, Ralph Nader, Bob Barr as well as Obama and McCain debate to hear a diversity of opinion and policy that makes our democracy strong.
Sign the petition to open the debate to all candidates.
http://www.petitiononline.com/GoogleNO/petition.html For the first time in recent history we have an opportunity to listen to all the presidential candidates debate in an open forum. ... more -
Making Old Bikes New for Post-Katrina New Orleans | Hugg 2.0
Great little blurb about RUBARB, a bike reclamation outfit in New Orleans. They're doing some great things with nothing, for nothing.
The TreeHugger.com article links here: http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/06/27/making-old-bikes-new...
Rubarb's website is here: http://www.rubarbike.org/index.html Great little blurb about RUBARB, a bike reclamation outfit in New Orleans. They're doing some great things with nothing, for nothing.... more -
New Orleans On Pace With Previous Homicide Rate
Six months into the year, the murder rate almost reflects a carbon copy of last year.
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Respected New Orleans news anchor charged with DWI, public urination
Seen as a hero to many in the Greater New Orleans area, Norman Robinson, 57, news anchor for 17 years in New Orleans, crashed his car in a New Orleans neighborhood on Saturday morning.
When he got out of his vehicle, he urinated on a police officer. His blood alcohol was .131, 1.6 times the legal limit. He was booked at 9:00 a.m. but released on bond shortly.
WDSU (the local NBC news affiliate) officials met the same day to decide Robinson's fate, but issued the statement: "Norman is a colleague, a friend and an asset to this community. We wish him and his family the best as they address this situation."
Robinson hosted "6 on Your Side Live" after Katrina and personally berated FEMA for doing very little. In the 90's, he confronted Klans Master David Duke and his run for Louisiana governor during a live debate. He was also a White House correspondent for CBS. Seen as a hero to many in the Greater New Orleans area, Norman Robinson, 57, news anchor for 17 years in New Orleans, crashed his car ... more -
A Genius Outside the Academy
The Hip Hop Caucus tour featuring Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. Yearwood is a minister, community activist, military chaplain, and one of the most influential people in Hip Hop. A powerful and fiery orator. The Hip Hop Caucus tour featuring Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. Yearwood is a minister, community activist, military chaplain, and one of ... more
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FEMA’s deadline to close trailer parks leaves many hopeless
Nearly three years after the Hurricane Katrina made thousands of victims, leaving thousands others without houses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency succeeded to meet its deadline and close all six trailer parks by Sunday, but said it would still take a few more days to move everyone into apartments or motels.
The decision to close the parks came after an investigation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between Dec. 21 and Jan. 23 found that formaldehyde fumes from hundreds of trailers and mobile homes were on average about five times what people are exposed to in most modern homes.
Formaldehyde is a common preservative and embalming fluid and a chemical used in the manufacture of the trailers. It can cause respiratory problems such as bronchitis and is known to cause cancer. In fact, formaldehyde has been classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Following this investigation, the FEMA established May 31 (a day before the start of the hurricane season) as deadline for closing the parks. However, many people have shown concern about where they will live and how they will be able to pay their rents. The FEMA has been under fire for its decision to empty the parks before they have found permanent housing. Also, there are many people who cannot afford a place to stay given the high prices after Katrina stroke New Orleans in 2005.
While some of the people that have lived in the FEMA trailer parks will benefit of housing subsidies until March 2009, those of them who can’t prove where they lived before Katrina destroyed their homes will benefit of the aid for another month only. After that, they’re on their own.
“I’m under more stress now than in the hurricane. They don't even do me the courtesy of responding. It's just, ‘When are you going to leave? When are you going to leave?’ They don't seem to care where we end up,” Ghulam Nasim, 79, a retired doctor who packed his things, but remained in his trailer said, according to the LA Times. And like him are many other residents who lack alternatives.
By Saturday, a day before the deadline, the former largest FEMA trailer park, Renaissance Village, had only 40 still occupied trailers out of the 575 that housed the Katrina victims until a few days ago. Nearly three years after the Hurricane Katrina made thousands of victims, leaving thousands others without houses, the Federal Emergen... more -
Clay spill in New orleans tunnel
18 people taken to hospital in New orleans iccident
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Levee destroyed by Hurricane Katrina starts leaking again.
The Army Corps of Engineers used $4 billion of its $14 billion budget to fix the levees of New Orleans breached in August 2005, but recent assessments by outside experts determined that the system will most probably fail after a storm surge of similar strength. In order to strengthen them, the budget may have to be increased.
The Army Corps acknowledges weakspots, but contends that they're doing their job and major leaps have been taken to improve the levee system. They are experiencing problems where the levees are sinking under its own weight. The Army Corps of Engineers used $4 billion of its $14 billion budget to fix the levees of New Orleans breached in August 2005, but re... more -
Hundreds of Indian workers exploited for labor following Katrina demand justice
The vast rebuilding effort in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina led the US government to permit recruitment of foreign laborers who were accorded "guest worker" status for the duration of their employment but apparently not the same rights and protection that domestic workers are guaranteed under US labor laws. Lacking safeguards, the foreign workers are ripe targets for exploitation and abuse by contractors.
Some 500 Indian workers caught in what they claim is a human trafficking racket have asked the Indian government to protect their families in India from vengeful recruiters even as they filed a class action anti-racketeering lawsuit in the US against their American employer.
Additionally, hundreds of Indian workers will return to DC next week to launch an indefinite hunger strike to demand the federal government investigate the guest worker program and abuse of post-Katrina Gulf Coast workers.
In late 2006, the workers mortgaged their futures – and $20,000 – on false promises of fortune and green cards by recruiters from marine construction company Signal International. But when the workers arrived in the US to work on post-Katrina reconstruction, they only received guestworker visas and were forced to pay Signal $1,050 a month to live in a trailer with 23 other workers.
The hunger strike will specifically call on the Department of Justice to prosecute Signal International and for Congress to hold hearings on the guest worker program in the post-Katrina Gulf Coast.
The vast rebuilding effort in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina led the US government to permit recruitment of foreign laborers ... more -
NEW... NEW ORLEANS.
Years after the devastating Hurricane Kitrina, a group of university students travels to New Orleans to help the continuing rebuilding efforts. This is NOT a look back but a step forward as this once amazing city welcomes the volunteers who will help rebuild her.
We will travel to the part of town where water was up to the rooftops, we will look at a levee and do some roofing in the lower 9th ward. We will watch this group take the molded walls out of a house while preserving the studs and framework and watch as the same group gets into a heated argument about something as trivial as an ice cream run.
NEW... NEW ORLEANS will put you on ground level with the hope and triumphs of the volunteers!
RUN TIME: 05:10
BY: Kelly King
Years after the devastating Hurricane Kitrina, a group of university students travels to New Orleans to help the continuing rebuilding... more -
Green puppy born in New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS -- A green puppy was born last week in New Orleans.
“It’s surprising, alarming to see,” Louisiana SPCA CEO Anna Zorrilla said. “Sometimes, when a puppy is born, the amniotic fluid mixes with the placenta and dyes the coat of the puppy and it almost always happens to very light colored puppies.”
Zorrilla said the puppy will not be green forever, and will likely turn white or a light tan color in the next few weeks.
She also said the health of the puppy won’t be affected.
“There are not health concerns,” Zorrilla said. “It’s really just a discoloration in the birthing process.” NEW ORLEANS -- A green puppy was born last week in New Orleans. ... more -
Katrina Victims vs. HUD // Comment Picked for TV
Thanks to daarinamarie for her comments on "Katrina Victims vs. HUD", a pod all about New Orleans housing project resident's protest against the razing of their homes for high priced condos. Here's a link to the pod: http://current.com/items/88870558_katrina_victims_vs_hu... Thanks to daarinamarie for her comments on "Katrina Victims vs. HUD", a pod all about New Orleans housing project resident's protest a... more
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Judge: corps of engineers can be sued over Katrina flooding
Since New Orleans has fallen out of the News coverage (except for basketball), some may have forgotten the historic atrocity that was Hurricane Katrina. Scheduling a September 8th trial is just in time for voters to hear all about it. Hopefully those broken homeowners will receive a whole lot more than just another $600 check. Since New Orleans has fallen out of the News coverage (except for basketball), some may have forgotten the historic atrocity that was ... more
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