Citizen Crime Watch Blog

Judge’s commute tallies $21,000
by Laura Maggi, The Times-Picayune
Monday August 25, 2008, 9:05 PM

Over almost three years, Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter has tapped more than $21,000 in public money to pay for mileage on his commute to New Orleans from Baton Rouge, where he relocated after the flood.

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Interim Orleans District Attorney wins seat on Criminal Court when lone opponent withdraws from race
by Gwen Filosa and Frank Donze, The Times-Picayune
Monday July 21, 2008, 8:45 PM

Keva Landrum-Johnson, who has served as Orleans Parish district attorney since last fall, won a seat on the Criminal Court bench Monday after her lone opponent withdrew from the Oct. 4 contest.

Landrum-Johnson’s uncontested victory sets the stage for another temporary chief prosecutor until New Orleans voters choose a permanent successor this fall for former District Attorney Eddie Jordan, who resigned under fire last year.

Landrum-Johnson has 30 days to take over the Criminal Court’s Section E seat vacated by Judge Calvin Johnson, who retired in January after 17 years, said Jacques Berry, a spokesman for the Louisiana secretary of state’s office.

By law, acting First Assistant District Attorney Val Solino is next in line for the district attorney post as soon as Landrum-Johnson steps down. Solino, 53, is a career prosecutor at the office with more than 20 years of service.

If he lands the appointment, Solino could hold the job through November.

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Man freed by judge gets 25 years in drug case
Thursday, June 26, 2008
From staff reports

A New Orleans drug dealer who was released from jail by a former Criminal District Court judge — despite having a cache of weapons, drugs and $186,000 in his home when arrested — was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison on Wednesday.

Brian Expose, 35, had pleaded guilty to five drug-trafficking and gun charges last fall. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier.

Following his March 2006 arrest by the New Orleans Police Department, Expose became a prime example of the questionable release practices of former state Judge Charles Elloie, who released Expose on his own recognizance within 24 hours after the raid on his Algiers house.

Elloie retired from the bench last year after he was indefinitely suspended by the Louisiana Supreme Court in fall 2006, in part because of his practices of lowering bond for suspects, including for violent criminals.

‘K-Ville’ detectives got nothin’ on judge
He defuses threatening situation
Friday, June 06, 2008
By Katy Reckdahl

On his way to work Wednesday, Judge Arthur Hunter disarmed an agitated man brandishing a broken bottle in front of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court at Tulane Avenue and Broad Street.

About 10 a.m. that day, New Orleans police officers blockaded Tulane Avenue and surrounded a tall, rail-thin man who threatened to cut his throat with the jagged-edged beer bottle and waved it toward anyone who approached.

Hunter, who was driving to work, got caught in the traffic and pulled over. He parked and took off on foot to the courthouse, where he is the chief judge and presides over a weekly mental health court for mentally ill people charged with nonviolent, felony-level offenses.

As Hunter neared the courthouse, he saw a profusion of NOPD squad cars and an ambulance. He worried that someone had been shot, he said.

Then he saw the lanky man, loudly cursing the NOPD officers surrounding him.

“It was tense,” Hunter said.

The ranking officer briefed Hunter about the situation. But at that point, officers didn’t know anything about the man, who glared at the judge and said, “Who the f - - - are you?”

Hunter introduced himself, and the man relaxed and said, “Oh you’re one of the good judges.” He then told Hunter his name — Edmund Barnes — and told him he was thirsty.

Cecile Tebo, director of NOPD’s crisis unit, fetched Barnes a glass of water. He, the judge and Tebo continued to speak. Not long afterward, Barnes dropped the bottle and got into the crisis unit van. He was taken to University Hospital and committed, Hunter said.

Earlier that morning, Hunter had spent nearly four hours in Lakeview to sign commitment papers for Eric Minshew, the armed man who holed up in a destroyed Lakeview house Tuesday afternoon and was shot by police officers after a 10-hour standoff.

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