Baton Rouge man pleads not-guilty to violating girlfriend with knife. This isn’t his first time. BY QUINN COFFMAN | Staff writer 5 hrs ago A Baton Rouge man was arraigned Monday for a violent sex crime in which the victim reported suffering multiple wounds to her genitals; records show the man, 48-year-old Raymond Brumfield, prev…
Baton Rouge's judicial races will be unlike any before. Here’s what voters should know. BY QUINN COFFMAN | Staff writer 17 hrs ago The fall races for district judgeships in East Baton Rouge Parish will be unusual, with many sitting judges aging off their benches, new subdistricts created and the first seat to be elected b…
+4 How federal agents in New Orleans are unraveling a global monkey-torture ring By JAMES FINN | Staff writer 17 hrs ago Federal agents knocked on a door in Covington last summer, searching for a woman wanted for an unusual crime.
Prairieville man convicted of first-degree rape involving child under 13 BY ANNAKATE FREELAND | Staff writer Jul 24, 2026 A Prairieville man was convicted Thursday of first-degree rape involving a victim younger than 13 and 14 counts of aggravated crimes against nature. The first-degree rape conviction alone carr…
+4 Liz Murrill says she’s lost trust with New Orleans officials after indictment: ‘They fed it’ BY JOHN SIMERMAN, JAMES FINN AND MATT BRUCE | Staff writer Jul 24, 2026 If New Orleans looks upon her as a felon, Attorney General Liz Murrill chalks it up to bad influences in the city.
Gonzales man sentenced to 40 years for nine counts of child exploitation charges BY ANNAKATE FREELAND | Staff writer Jul 23, 2026 A Gonzales man was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to nine counts of possessing and sharing child sex abuse materials involving victims younger than 13.
Appeals court finds BESE's attempted takeover of Baker schools violated open meetings law BY CHARLES LUSSIER | Staff writer Jul 23, 2026 Louisiana’s top school board failed to properly alert members of the public that it was considering taking over two low-performing schools in Baker, an appellate court has found.
Son of Judge Gail Horne Ray returns to court, seeking to have his 1997 rape convictions set aside BY QUINN COFFMAN | Staff writer Jul 23, 2026 The son of Baton Rouge District Judge Gail Horne Ray returned to court Wednesday in a bid to have multiple forcible rape convictions and their sentences set aside, nearly 30 years after the cr…
Baton Rouge hires John Bel Edwards for possible antitrust lawsuit over fire trucks BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | Staff writer Jul 22, 2026 Baton Rouge could soon join dozens of local governments across the country in suing the nation's largest fire truck manufacturers over alleged antitrust violations — and if it does, Louisiana’…
+3 Council members testify as grand jury Baton Rouge corruption investigation continues BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | Staff writer Jul 22, 2026 Two more Baton Rouge officials testified Wednesday before a grand jury as part of the Louisiana Attorney General’s investigation into political corruption in Baton Rouge.
+5 Felony charges for Attorney General Liz Murrill dismissed by special prosecutor amid pressure BY JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writer Updated Jul 22, 2026 Less than three weeks after an Orleans Parish grand jury handed up felony charges against Attorney General Liz Murrill, special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed the indictment Wednesday morni…
+3 Kenner pastor convicted of stealing $340k from churches to spend on gambling, personal costs By JAMES FINN | Staff writer Updated Jul 23, 2026 A federal jury convicted a New Orleans-area pastor last week of more than two-dozen fraud charges, finding he siphoned some $340,000 from his congregations to spend on gambling, meals and livi…
+3 Liz Murrill fires back at Orleans DA, special prosecutor in subpoena fight over grand jury BY JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writer Updated Jul 22, 2026 Shortly before a grand jury in New Orleans voted on July 2 to indict Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on 16 felony charges, special prosecutor Laurie White expressed reservations, Murril…
Trial set for Geismar couple charged in starvation death of their 5-year-old son, who was 19 pounds BY ANNAKATE FREELAND | Staff writer Jul 21, 2026 A trial date was set Tuesday morning for a Geismar couple charged with second-degree murder in the death of their 5-year-old son, who investigators say died after months of severe neglect and …
+2 Contractor arrested in corruption probe ‘intentionally defrauded’ Baton Rouge program, docs say BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | Staff writer Jul 20, 2026 Investigators believe a city contractor defrauded multiple Baton Rouge officials and falsely claimed he sponsored an event featuring a man awaiting trial for murder at the time, according to n…
City contractor booked on theft count in ongoing Baton Rouge political corruption probe BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | Staff writer Jul 20, 2026 A contractor accused of falsely billing the city for a gun safety event featuring a gang member was arrested Monday in the ongoing Baton Rouge corruption probe.
Prairieville man sentenced to 12 years after pleading guilty to fatal drunk driving crash BY ANNAKATE FREELAND | Staff writer Jul 20, 2026 A Prairieville man who had a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit when he got into a crash that killed a passenger in his vehicle has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for vehi…
+5 'We impact': Ousted leader starts private school to compete with Impact Charter School BY CHARLES LUSSIER | Staff writer Jul 20, 2026 Chakesha Scott, the indicted former leader of Impact Charter, is opening a private school to competed with the charter school she founded and from which she was fired.
+3 Louisiana Supreme Court to settle constitutionality of cuts to New Orleans judges BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer Updated Jul 17, 2026 The Louisiana Supreme Court on Friday took over and fast-tracked a lawsuit challenging a new state law that reduced the number of judges in New Orleans courts.
+4 Orleans DA, special prosecutor in Liz Murrill’s indictment ask to block subpoenas about grand jury BY MATT BRUCE AND JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writers Jul 17, 2026 The subpoena requests are part of Murrill’s attempt to have the criminal case against her thrown out before she must answer to 16 felony counts of public intimidation and malfeasance in office.
+4 In Liz Murrill criminal case, DA Jason Williams denies involvement as subpoena deadline looms BY JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writer Jul 16, 2026 Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams insisted Thursday that neither he nor his office “initiated or handled” the recent indictment of Attorney General Liz Murrill, as a Friday deadl…
Impact Charter School founder, family charged with illegally diverting money to pay for Tesla, European vacation and swimming pool BY CHARLES LUSSIER | Staff writer Jul 16, 2026 The founder of Impact Charter School in Baker, her husband and her daughter are facing criminal charges, accused of illegally diverting money to buy a Tesla, install a swimming pool at their h…
+2 St. George temporarily blocked from rezoning land at Pecue Lane, I-10 interchange BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD | Staff writer Jul 16, 2026 A judge has ruled that the city of St. George — for the time being — cannot rezone a piece of land at the Pecue Lane interchange at Interstate 10 following a lawsuit filed by the landowner.
+2 Council member Cleve Dunn Jr. pleads not guilty to kickback charges in Baton Rouge corruption case BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER and QUINN COFFMAN | Staff writers Jul 15, 2026 Metro Council member Cleve Dunn Jr. pleaded not guilty in a Baton Rouge courtroom Wednesday to charges that he took a kickback for helping steer a $50,000 public transportation contract to a l…
+2 Liz Murrill seeks to purge judge who oversaw her indictment from all AG cases BY MATT BRUCE | Staff writer Updated Jul 14, 2026 Attorney General Liz Murrill is seeking to remove Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Leon Roche from dozens of cases her office is prosecuting before him, after Roche oversaw grand jury pr…
Boosie Badazz seeking refund from lobbyists who failed to secure him a Trump pardon BY QUINN COFFMAN | Staff writer Jul 14, 2026 The way his hired lobbyists made it sound, Baton Rouge rapper Boosie Badazz was all but guaranteed clemency last year through a presidential pardon from Trump.
Former Orleans DA Leon Cannizzaro joins Louisiana panel overseeing judges BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN | Staff writer Jul 14, 2026 Leon Cannizzaro, the former Orleans Parish district attorney with ties to Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill, has been appointed to the Louisiana Judiciary Commission, which inv…
+2 Indicted AG Liz Murrill seeks subpoenas to Orleans DA, special prosecutor BY JOHN SIMERMAN | Staff writer Updated Jul 13, 2026 Lawyers for Attorney General Liz Murrill asked a judge Monday to issue subpoenas to Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and special prosecutor Laurie White for records about how a …