After 12 years behind bars, Markus Lanieux thought he had a deal for his release.

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The Big Story
Fri. Sep 8, 2023

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He Fled a Traffic Stop in Louisiana. Now He’s in Prison for Life. <[link removed]> After 12 years behind bars, Markus Lanieux thought he had a deal for his release. Then Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a legal challenge that could derail hope for those imprisoned under the state's "three strikes" sentencing rules. by Richard A. Webster, Verite News

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A Sheriff in Louisiana Has Been Destroying Records of Deputies’ Alleged Misconduct for Years <[link removed]> A lawsuit brought by the family of an autistic teen who died while in custody found the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office destroyed the disciplinary records of a deputy involved in the case. by Richard A. Webster, Verite News <[link removed]>

Nearly Half of All Sheriffs in Louisiana Are Violating Public Records Laws <[link removed]> The finding builds on earlier reporting, which found records were destroyed in the case of a 16-year-old boy who died while in custody of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. by Richard A. Webster, Verite News <[link removed]>

Three Children Attacked a Black Woman. A Sheriff’s Deputy Arrived — and Beat Her More. <[link removed]> Black residents of Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish have long accused the Sheriff’s Office of targeting them. A new video, which shows a deputy slamming a Black woman’s head into the ground, raises more questions. by Richard A. Webster, WRKF and WWNO <[link removed]>

“They Saw Me and Thought the Worst” <[link removed]> For years, Black residents of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, have voiced complaints about abuses and a lack of accountability within its Sheriff’s Office. Unlike in neighboring New Orleans, no one has stepped in to help. by Richard A. Webster, WRKF and WWNO, photography by Kathleen Flynn, special to ProPublica <[link removed]>

Feds Say Jefferson Parish Deputies May Have Violated Law in Death of Autistic Teen <[link removed]> Officers sat on the 16-year-old’s back for nine minutes before he died. They claim they needed to do so because he posed a threat. by Richard A. Webster, Verite News <[link removed]>

Louisiana Deputy Who Slammed a Black Woman on the Pavement Was Named in Multiple Suits, Records Show <[link removed]> Julio Alvarado, a Jefferson Parish deputy who was seen on video violently dragging a woman by the hair, has been named in nine federal civil rights lawsuits, all involving the use of excessive force. This is the most of any deputy currently employed. by Richard A. Webster, WRKF and WWNO, and Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate <[link removed]>

He Was Filming on His Phone. Then a Deputy Attacked Him and Charged Him With Resisting Arrest. <[link removed]> Police can arrest people for “cover charges,” like resisting arrest, to justify their use of excessive force and shield themselves from liability. In Jefferson Parish, 73% of the time someone is arrested on a “cover charge” alone, they’re Black. by Richard A. Webster, WRKF and WWNO, with data analysis by Greg Morton, ProPublica <[link removed]>

“If Everybody’s White, There Can’t Be Any Racial Bias”: The Disappearance of Hispanic Drivers From Traffic Records <[link removed]> In Louisiana, law enforcement agencies have been accused of targeting Hispanic drivers in traffic stops and identifying them as white on tickets. Misidentification makes it impossible to track racial bias, experts say. by Richard A. Webster <[link removed]>

Actions of Deputy Who Dragged Woman by Her Hair Deemed “Reasonable and Acceptable” <[link removed]> Video showed the officer, who has been named in at least nine excessive force lawsuits, grabbing the woman by her hair and slamming her to the ground. The sheriff now says the actions were justified and the woman is “looking for a paycheck.” by Gordon Russell, The Times-Picayune | The Advocate <[link removed]>

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