Lawsuit Against New Orleans Government

Source: Mario Tama / Getty

Some of New Orleans’ poorest residents are now working with lawyers in a class-action lawsuit against the local criminal district court. They are accusing judges and court officials of ripping them out of their money and unlawfully keeping them in jail for falling behind on exorbitant court fines.

The plaintiffs in the case are highlighting the courts’ failure to assess people’s ability to pay in assigned court fees. They are also pointing out that officials such as judges, prosecutors and public defenders unfairly benefit from the costs that are placed upon the city’s residents.

Experts explain that the exorbitant costs that New Orleanians are burdened with are used to fund the local criminal justice system, making up costs that aren’t covered in taxes. They go on to explain that such large charges towards New Orleanians brought to court for petty crimes like traffic violations and theft is unconstitutional, as these fees are often bigger than the actual criminal fine. Read more at the New York Times. 

UP NEXT: Dylann Roof’s Friend Joseph Meeks Gets Arrested By FBI

FBI Arrests Joseph Meeks, Friend of Emanuel AME Shooter Dylann Roof

Source: The Washington Post / Getty

Joseph “Joey” Meeks, pictured above playing video games with his brother, Jacob Meeks, is now in custody with the FBI after allegedly lying about his knowledge on Dylann Roof’s plans of shooting members at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church.

Meeks is also charged with concealing information about the crime. Meeks was notified that he was possibly a suspect in the tragic shootings back on Aug. 6. If convicted of the felonies that he has been charged with, Meeks could serve three years in prison.

Roof had been staying at Meeks’ home in the weeks leading up to the shooting. Meeks had at one point confiscated Roof’s semi-automatic handgun out of fear that he would act on some of Roof’s racist comments by attacking Black people in their neighborhood. Read more at Huffington Post.

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President Obama To Speak On New Orleans’ Progress After Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans Cops Under Investigation For Ignoring Sex Crime & Child Abuse Cases