12.May.2011 New Bill Regulating Bath Salts and Synthetic Marijuana One Step Closer to Passage
House Bill 12 (click for full text) is one step close to passage. The Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice sent the measure, introduced by Rep. Ricky Templet, R-Gretna, to the House floor for debate. Besides banning the sale, manufacture or possession of “bath salts”, the bill also rewrites a law passed last year that bans the [...]
09.May.2011 This Week in Criminal Law: 5.9.11
It seems like a lot of people like to monkey around with the law when they’re on the road. That’s exactly what happened when a 21-year-old chimp named Suco got loose according to the Kansas City Star… The shenanigans don’t stop there. Last week, A New York man was arrested for DWI twice in the [...]
06.May.2011 Comments from Public Demonstrate Need for Reform of Marijuana Laws
A recent story in the Times Picayune about a St. Tammany Parish criminal case in which the defendant received a life sentence for attempted possession with the intent to distribute marijuana drew considerable public comment on the newspaper’s website. I am a criminal defense attorney, and a pretty liberal guy in general. So when I [...]
28.Mar.2011 Online Search: Finding Someone in Jail in New Orleans
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02.Mar.2011 Mardi Gras Repercussions Unmasked
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28.Feb.2011 Common Sense Carnival: How to NOT Get Arrested at Mardi Gras
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22.Jan.2011 Federal Judge Won’t Stop DEA Ban on ‘Fake Pot’
The Associated Press reported the following today: A federal judge has rejected an attempt by Minnesota businesses to stop the government from cracking down on synthetic marijuana. U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz on Friday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to prevent a nationwide ban on so-called “fake pot.” Schiltz says he lacks authority to act [...]
14.Jan.2011 Update: DEA Ban on Synthetic Marijuana Not Finalized
There appears to be a widely held misconception that there exists currently a nationwide ban on synthetic marijuana products pursuant to an emergency DEA order announced in November 2010. The fact of the matter, however, is that the ban is not yet in effect, according to the DEA’s website. As of January 13, 2011, the [...]
07.Jan.2011 Photo from My “Life of Crime”
It was a beautiful day in New Orleans today. My friend, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bourque, took this photo as we were chatting about a case on the courthouse steps. Thanks, Matt. photo courtesy of Matthew Bourque Incoming search terms:matthew bourque new orleansnice court stepscriminal attorney new orleansmatthew bourque assistant DAmatthew bourque new orleans louisiana
28.Dec.2010 Video Podcast: Summons versus Arrest in Municipal Court Cases
Discussion of the New Orleans City Council’s new initiative authorizing the New Orleans Police Department to issue summons in lieu of arrest for certain municipal crimes.

