Just days after District Attorney Mike Harson told The Advocate he had appointed an assistant district attorney to look into whether some people cited for OWI had actually performed their community service work, sources tell The Independent that assistant has subpoenaed individuals to appear for questioning.
Sources close to the ongoing federal investigation into Harson’s handling of OWI cases — in particular the pretrial diversion program and expungement process — tell The Independent some in the DA's office do indeed have doubts about how cases were prosecuted. Our sources would not say who is being called in for questioning.
One source says a number of the cases being scrutinized were handled by private investigator Robert Williamson. While attorneys typically are retained for OWI cases, Williamson for some time had been working as a paid consultant for those charged with this crime. In essence, those facing OWI prosecution were opting to hire Williamson, rather than an attorney, to handle their cases.
Williamson's involvement appears to be at least part of the FBI's focus.
The FBI probe into Harson’s handling of OWI cases came to light Feb. 27, when federal agents paid a visit to Williamson’s Arnould Boulevard home, the same day they were at the district attorney’s office sifting through the desks and files of Barna Haynes, Harson’s longtime office administrator, and ADA Gregory Williams. Haynes was put on unpaid administrative leave by Harson two weeks after the FBI came calling.
Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Louis Perret would not comment Wednesday on whether his personnel had been asked by the DA's office to process the subpoenas.
Perret did confirm earlier this week that the FBI searched two computer servers on the third floor of the courthouse the weekend of April 14. That search was first reported Saturday, April 21, by The Advocate. The DA’s office has two servers on the clerk of court’s network, according to Perret. “I can confirm that they were there and that’s what they were looking at,” Perret told The Independent.
In that same Saturday Advocate story, Harson said he had assigned an ADA to investigate whether community service hours listed as being performed by some of those charged with OWI were actually worked. This morning Harson identified Keith Stutes as the assistant district attorney who has been looking into the community service issue on some OWI cases, but Harson said he did not know whether anyone had been subpoenaed. “I’m not aware of that,” he said. “It could be part of what Keith’s doing. He could have issued, possibly, some DA subpoenas. I don’t know for a fact if he did.”
Harson said it would not be unusual for him to be unaware of such action taken by one of his assistants. “He’s handling it on behalf of the office,” the DA said. “I’m not looking over his shoulder every step he takes.”
Harson did confirm to The Advocate that the internal investigation would be centered on potentially fraudulent community service hours submitted by at least two people in connection with their DWI convictions. At least one of those cases was taken by the FBI during its first search, he told the paper, which noted:
Both individuals in question secured plea deals from the District Attorney’s Office that sped up the judicial process and allowed them to complete their probation requirements, such as community service, payment of fines and court costs, and substance abuse and driver improvement courses, prior to pleading in court, according to court records.
Since their probation conditions had already been met, both were given suspended sentences and their probationary periods were either shortened or eliminated entirely, according to court records.
For their community service hours, both individuals submitted paperwork signed by Elaine Crump on behalf of Acadiana Outreach Center for community service hours that were completed after Crump had been fired from the agency.
Jill Meaux, executive director of the Outreach Center, confirmed that Crump was not employed at the center during the dates listed on both letters.
The Advocate found at least 16 OWI cases where community service paperwork was submitted by Crump on behalf of AOC: two for work completed after she was terminated and another for hours worked nearly nine months before the person was arrested on the OWI charge. Read The Advocate story here.
Reached by phone about noon today, Stutes said he was busy and would have to return The Independent’s call.
On the matter of the ongoing federal investigation of his office, Harson said he continues to cooperate fully with the feds.
It’s unclear, however, how the feds are reacting to the DA looking into the very cases it is likely scrutinizing. An FBI spokeswoman in New Orleans could not be reached for comment this morning.
JUNE 17 If anyone ever wonders why Saints fans hate Atlanta with a capital H, here's a good indication. Radio "professionals" at an Atlanta station created an entire segment around making fun of former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is now paralyzed by ALS. Listen, nobody's ever accused DJs of being rocket scientists. But how could someone think it is amusing to pretend to ask a man with a degenerative, fatal disease if he will be alive next week? The DJs have been fired, and are now whining about how gutless their former bosses are. Wow.
JUNE 18 Here's the latest from the Advocate on the fatal hit-and-run accident allegedly involving the president of the Livingston Parish School Board. He's accused by police of hitting a 21-year-old man on a highway early Sunday and driving away. The man died at a hospital later. On Monday, police seized the president's truck and towed it away. But he's available for board meetings: apparently a $500 bond is sufficient for this type of thing over in St. Helena Parish.
JUNE 18 Former broadcast journalist Griffin Scott has posted this plea on his blog for financial assistance from his readers. Scott, who says he was fired after he wrote something fairly innocuous (for Facebook) on his wall, is suing a media giant for his job back. He's framed himself as David going after a bloated media giant, and he's probably not far off.
JUNE 18 Here's a fairly absurd column posted on DIG Magazine about the completely absurd practice of naming killer storms. Tornadoes don't have names. Blizzards don't have names. But hurricanes do, and there's a big process to bestow them, Jacques Cormery writes. He's right about the crazy assemblage of names -- this year, there's everything from Tanya to Humberto -- and his idea that we don't waste good names on killer storms is a good one.
JUNE 17 Political columnist John Maginnis has some advice for Louisiana Republicans: grow up. After the schism that occurred in this past session - fiscal hawks teaming up with Democrats to spank the Republican "majority" and hand Gov. Jindal his, er, aspirations for continued solon control -- they need to figure out how to get along with each other, Maginnis writes.
JUNE 17 Here's the Picayune's obit story for Dorothy 'Miss Dot' Domilise, the lady who made poboys at the uptown restaurant that bears her name. Miss Dot moved to New Orleans during World War II, where she met and married her husband Sam. When she passed away Friday she was 90, and had spent more than 60 of those years working at the restaurant on Annunciation Street.
JUNE 17 This editorial in the Advocate speaks in favor of the consent decrees that have federal judges overseeing police operations and the sheriff's parish prison in New Orleans. Mayor Landrieu and Sheriff Gusman can't get along, so outside forces, like the Inspector General and the judges, are needed to make sure things run right, the editorial opines.
JUNE 18 Here's a post from Manny Schewitz on Forward Progressives that is good for a chuckle. Manny had an epiphany back in November, and is sharing it with us today: he believes that Fox "News" is killing the GOP by pandering to right wing nuts. Now, don't get it twisted: Manny's not broke up about it. He says he enjoys watching the downward spiral with a shot of whiskey and "a schadenfreude chaser."
Most Read
in case you missed it
Subscribe to this comment's feed