Corruption Trials in Ouachita Parish
Here's an interesting article from the August 22, 2006 Monroe News Star and a second one and a KATC-Lafayette report concerning prosecution of Parish officials for corruption in Ouachita Parish.
Interesting passages:
"Dawson is charged with one count of malfeasance in office in connection with improvements made on Camel Road, which runs through property co-owned by his wife, and one count of unauthorized use of a moveable.
The unauthorized use of a moveable charge resulted from the Public Works department using parish-owned materials to pave the parking lot of Dawson's Gilbert church.
Dawson was one of eight people indicted in June 2003 following an 18-month investigation into Police Jury corruption. Only Dawson and Boyte still have pending cases."
"(Former DPW Chief) Boyte used a jury-rented bulldozer to do work on former Police Juror Grady Williams' property.
Former Public Works employee Earl Stone cut trees at the Union Parish home of former Assistant Parish Administrator Woodson McGuffee. Stone told the court he did the work at Boyte's request."
"McGuffee was convicted in February of corruption and sentenced to five years at hard labor, two of them suspended, and three years probation. A six-person jury found McGuffee guilty of malfeasance in office for having a parish Public Works employee remove trees from his property in Union Parish in December 2000."
Parallels? Anyone?
Here's an interesting article from the August 22, 2006 Monroe News Star and a second one and a KATC-Lafayette report concerning prosecution of Parish officials for corruption in Ouachita Parish.
Interesting passages:
"Dawson is charged with one count of malfeasance in office in connection with improvements made on Camel Road, which runs through property co-owned by his wife, and one count of unauthorized use of a moveable.
The unauthorized use of a moveable charge resulted from the Public Works department using parish-owned materials to pave the parking lot of Dawson's Gilbert church.
Dawson was one of eight people indicted in June 2003 following an 18-month investigation into Police Jury corruption. Only Dawson and Boyte still have pending cases."
"(Former DPW Chief) Boyte used a jury-rented bulldozer to do work on former Police Juror Grady Williams' property.
Former Public Works employee Earl Stone cut trees at the Union Parish home of former Assistant Parish Administrator Woodson McGuffee. Stone told the court he did the work at Boyte's request."
"McGuffee was convicted in February of corruption and sentenced to five years at hard labor, two of them suspended, and three years probation. A six-person jury found McGuffee guilty of malfeasance in office for having a parish Public Works employee remove trees from his property in Union Parish in December 2000."
Parallels? Anyone?
posted by Carl A. Chauvin at 2:32 PM
6 Comments:
Houston,WE HAVE PARALLELS...but..
Where's the investigator?
Where's the prosecutor?
Where's the judge?
Houston,WE HAVE A PROBLEM!
My faith is restored. District attorneys, sheriffs and judges are actually doing their jobs in other parishes.
Your the lawyer. What do we as people have to do to get justice? Also what do we as people have to do to hold the ones responsible to investigate this get charged with malfeasance? Will the case ever make it to court.
It ain't necessarily the law that's the problem; it's the politics. Could be whether you are in the circle of power or out of it.
On the other hand, if Cam continues to feel the need to punt, is it because his roles as attorney for the Council and his roles as prosecutor of crimes conflict? We might need some legislation to remedy that.
Even if the state does nothing, there is always the Feds. It's their money that we propose ripping-off (or rather our own federal taxes).
Have faith in the system. That Ouachita Parish scandal took 18 months to investigate. The indictments were handed down in 2003. And finally, 3 years later, the prosecutions are winding down.
Be patient. And vote wisely.
All dogs have their day.
There will be some accountability.
There should be a law that if the Law does not investigate and procede with a slam dunk case such as the generator for family deal, that a citizen could file malfeasance charge on them as well.
It's good to know that the laws are followed in 63 parish's.
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