[1. Roll Call]
[00:00:05]
BRANDON WILLIAMS, SHARON LEWIS PRESENT JOHN SMITH, ROB AND PRESS ROBINSON PRECEDENT.
THERE ARE TWO ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
THE FIRST IS TO CONDUCT AND ELECTION FOR OFFICES.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE THAT CAUSES THE INTERVIEW, UH, ATTORNEYS WHO MADE ME COME TO ATTORNEY, I NEED TO ADD A THIRD ITEM.
WE RECEIVED A RESTRAINING ORDER FROM 19 JUDICIAL COURT, AND IT CAME THAT WE SHOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTIONS, ALL REGARDS THE REQUEST FOR AN INVESTIGATION THAT WAS FILED BY MR. HERE.
THERE IS A HEARING ON THURSDAY EVERYWHERE, THE 10TH, AND I NEED, I THINK THE BOY NEEDS TO AT LEAST DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THAT HEARING.
AND IF SO, WHAT WOULD BE THE BOY'S POSITION? BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT AS ITEM FOUR ON THE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ADD IN THAT ITEM AS ITEM FOUR ON THE AGENDA? OKAY.
HEARING NO OBJECTIONS AND WE WILL, AND THAT IS ITEMS BOARD UNDER GENDER, AND THEN
[2. Conduct Election of Officers]
WILL NOT PROCEED WITH THE CONDUCTION OR THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS.WE HAVE TWO OFFICES TO THE BOARD CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
WE WILL HOLD THE ELECTION FOR THE CHAIR FIRST.
AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, UH, SELECTION, I WILL VACATE THE SEAT AND THE CHAIR WILL, UM, TAKEOVER THOUGH.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY, UH, INGESTING THAT WE CONSIDER OUR CHAIRMAN, MR. BRANDON, WILLIAM.
AND SO PUT HIS NAME AND NOMINATION SECOND AND MOVED IN SECONDARY.
ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR A BOARD CHAIR OF THE NOMINATIONS FOR BOARD CHAIR.
HEARING NO OTHER NOMINATIONS, THEN WE WOULD CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS.
UM, AND WE'LL ACTUALLY GO AHEAD AND JUST POINT OUT FOR MALLORY TO TAKE A VOTE THAT MR. BRANDON WILLIAMS WOULD BECOME A NEW CHAIR, OTHER, BUT JUST FOR FIGHTING THE CIVIL SERVANT IT'S PENDING WHEN YOU CALL HER UP.
I WILL VACATE YOUR ASS, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T MATTER.
WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS THINK ENOUGH OF ME TO LET ME LEAVE.
UM, YOU'RE IN THERE, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AND THAT IS, UH, THE ELECTION OF OUR, UH, VICE CHAIRMAN.
DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS ON THE FLOOR? AND I MADE PRESS.
AGAIN, WE CAN HAVE THE, UH, RO CABO, MS. PAYNE.
NO, SHE NEED TO HAVE FOUR GAMES.
CONGRATULATIONS, PRESS MAINTAINING YOUR SEAT.
[3. Interview candidates for Board Attorney]
THAT MOVES.IT MOVES US TO OUR NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS AND LEAVE THIS TO THE INTERVIEW.
THE CANDIDATES FOR BOARD ATTORNEY,
[00:05:01]
UH, WE HAVE WITH US, UH, I NEED TO READ, UH, WE HAD A FOURTH PERSON WHO WOULD'VE BEEN HERE, MR. CLIFTON, IVY, WHO, UM, WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT, I'M GOING TO READ HIS MESSAGE TO ME.MR. WILLIAMS, MY TRIP WAS ACTUALLY CUT SHORT AND I RETURNED LAST NIGHT.
UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS BECAUSE I DEVELOPED CENTERS AND TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.
GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WITHDRAW MY NAME TO PROCEED AS I DO NOT WANT TO HOLD UP.
THE BOARD'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT MR. IVY IS ELECTED TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE PROCESS AND WHICH LEAVES US WITH THE THREE CANDIDATES THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE BOARD WISHES, I THINK WE CAN, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS BEGIN TO, UM, INTERVIEW EACH PERSON ONE BY ONE, AND WE CAN HAVE THE OTHER TWO, UM, GO TO THE ROOM IF Y'ALL SO CHOOSE.
AND LET'S JUST GO BASED UP ON THE BORDER OF WHICH THEY, UH, APPEAR ON THE AGENDA.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH WHERE THE CONFERENCE ROOM IS? I'M GOING TO SHOP.
SO THAT WOULD MEAN MR. JOSHUA DYER WOULD BE OUR FIRST CANDIDATE.
JEREMY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO APPROACH? YES, SIR.
MAKE SURE THAT MIKE IS ON SIR.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? WONDERFUL.
MORE? WHAT WAS THE DARK, UH, I GUESS YOU COULD BEGIN BY TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU THINK, UH, THIS HORSE OR, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU FIT INTO THE BOARD OR WOULD BE A GOOD BOARD ATTORNEY? SURE.
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, CHAIRMAN, I GUESS BRANDON WILLIAMS, I GUESS, IS THAT CORRECT, SIR.
AND MR. ROBINSON, OF COURSE, UH, CONGRATULATIONS AND SYMPATHIES FOR CONTINUING TO DO YOUR WORK AS WELL.
UH, JUST I GUESS FOR RECORD PURPOSES, MY NAME IS JOSHUA DARA.
I'M A PARTNER AT THE LAW FIRM OF GOLDWYNS BRUISER, SUSAN RANDELL.
IT'S A REGIONAL LAW FIRM IN ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA, WHICH IS ABOUT AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES AWAY FROM HERE.
UM, MY PRACTICE AREA FOCUSES ESSENTIALLY AND EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION AND COMPLIANCE AND ALSO, UH, BUSINESS LITIGATION.
SO THAT'S REALLY MY PRACTICE AREA.
I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO KIND OF POINT OUT SOME OF THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM.
I KNOW THAT I'M AN HOUR AND 40 MINUTES AWAY.
I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT I MAY NOT BE THE, THE MOST, UH, THE OLDEST CANDIDATE AS WELL, BUT DESPITE THAT, I DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND TALK WITH YOU GUYS.
I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THOSE TWO THINGS THAT I POINTED OUT, UH, ALONG WITH OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE ME A REAL GOOD FIT FOR THIS BOARD.
SO THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT TO THIS BOARD IS THAT I LIVE IN THIS, UH, MUNICIPAL WORK EVERY DAY.
THIS IS JUST WHAT I DO ALL THE TIME.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT HEARINGS, JUST THIS MONTH ALONE IN FRONT OF DIFFERENT BOARDS.
IT'S NOT LIMITED TO ALEXANDRA.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE 10TH, I HAVE A HEARING IN FRONT OF THE ALEXANDRIA BOARD, UH, ON THE 23RD, I HAVE ANOTHER HEARING IN FRONT OF ALEXANDER AND BOARD ON THE 24TH.
I HAVE A HEARING IN FRONT OF THE MONROE BOARD.
THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT I DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT WE DISCUSSED EXPERIENCE, I DON'T THINK EXPERIENCE NECESSARILY MEANS EXPERTISE.
I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU GUYS THAT I HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF EXPERTISE IN THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF WORK I'VE DONE PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF AS IT RELATES TO, UH, WORKING WITH BOARDS.
TYPICALLY I'M REPRESENTING THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY.
MOST OF THE TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, I REPRESENT THE CITY OF ALEXANDER.
I DO ALL OF THEIR CIVIL SERVICE WORK ON THE CIVILIAN SIDE AND ON THE FIRE AND POLICE SIDE, I REPRESENT THE CITY OF MONROE.
I DO THEIR FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE WORK.
UH, WE REPRESENT THE CITY OF NACA PUNISH THE PARISH AND NEGATIVE CITY OF LEESVILLE.
THIS IS JUST WHAT I DO ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE LONG WAITED FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT A BOARD, OF COURSE, BECAUSE WE REPRESENT MOST OF THOSE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES AROUND US.
THAT OPPORTUNITY JUST HASN'T PRESENTED ITSELF.
I THINK THAT HAVING SOMEONE WHO DOES THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY IS GOING TO BE AN ASSET TO THE BOARD.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT THE EXPERTISE THAT, THAT KNOWLEDGE WITH YOU GUYS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS BEEN THERE DONE THAT HAD PLENTY OF FUN WITH THOSE,
[00:10:01]
UH, FROM THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY SIDE ON THE RECEIVING END ON ALL KINDS OF SIDES.UM, MY FRUSTRATION AS A PRACTITIONER WHEN I'M DEALING WITH BOARD ATTORNEYS, IS THAT I CAN ALWAYS TELL THEY DON'T DO IT EVERY DAY.
THAT'S MY BIGGEST FRUSTRATION.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, I READ THROUGH YOUR RULES LAST NIGHT.
I LIKE YOUR RULES, YOUR BOARD RULES.
THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO TRY TO IMPRESS ON THE ALEXANDERS.
SO WE'LL START WITH SPORT OR FIRE AND POLICE BOARD.
I THINK YOU GUYS DO A GOOD JOB OF OUTLINING THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UH, WHETHER IT'S, UH, POWER TO JUST DO SIMPLE THINGS LIKE MOTIONS TO CONTINUE.
SO WHETHER IT'S THE TYPE OF TESTIMONY THAT CAN BE ELICITED FROM DIFFERENT WITNESSES THAT YOU GUYS DO A GREAT JOB ABOUT THAT.
THE CATCH THOUGH IS DO YOU HAVE A BOARD ATTORNEY THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY HELP ENFORCE THOSE RULES? BECAUSE TYPICALLY WE GET INTO THESE HEARINGS AND ALL THE RULES GO OUT OF THE WINDOW.
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE UNFORTUNATE PART THAT IS A FRUSTRATION TO ME IS SOMEONE WHO'S WHO PRIDES HIMSELF AS A TECHNICIAN.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE THE BOARD ATTORNEY IS JUST NOT SURE, JUST NOT SURE WHAT THE RULING IS.
I UNDERSTAND THE CHAIRMAN MAKES MOST OF THE PROCEDURAL RULINGS UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VOTE AND WHATNOT.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT YOUR BOARD RULE SPELL OUT THAT OUR RULES ARE DOWN EXACTLY HOW THOSE PROCEDURAL VOTES HAPPENED.
BUT MY POINT IN BRINGING ALL OF THIS UP IT'S SYMBOL, THE CHAIRMAN LOOKS TO THE ATTORNEY AND SAYS, OKAY, WHAT IS THIS EVIDENTIARY THING ME? AND BECAUSE THAT BOARD ATTORNEY IS NOT IN IT EVERY DAY, HE JUST KIND OF DEFER.
THAT'S THE THING I HATE THE MOST.
I KNOW YOUR PAST BOARD ATTORNEY WAS VERY EXPERIENCED.
WE'VE HEARD OF HIM EVEN UP NORTH WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO I KNOW THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU GUYS.
I JUST WANT TO CONTINUE THAT TRADITION OF JUST HAVING A GOOD, EXPERIENCED, UH, ATTORNEY ON YOUR SIDE.
THAT'S HELPING YOU GUYS MAKE THE PROPER DIRECT DECISIONS.
UH, I WOULD END WITH MY GOAL WITH ALL MY CLIENTS IS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF COURT.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE REAL GOAL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO COME HERE AND HAVE HEARINGS AND, AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
BUT FROM THE BOARD PERSPECTIVE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT SHE GUYS HAVE TO DO TO STAY OUT OF COURT.
WHEN THE, THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY AND THE, AND THE EMPLOYEE GO TO DISTRICT COURT, SHOULDN'T REALLY BE AN ISSUE THAT THE BOARD IS INVOLVED WITH.
IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT WE'VE MESSED UP.
SHOULDN'T BE, IF THERE'S A PROCEDURAL ERROR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S MY JOB THAT, THAT FALLS DIRECTLY ON MY SHOULDERS.
AND I'M COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
MY JOB IS TO PROTECT YOU GUYS, AND I'VE BECOME PRETTY GOOD AT DOING THAT IN MY, UH, MY EIGHT YEARS PRACTICING.
UM, I'M WELCOME TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT YOU KNOW, TH THE THING LAWYERS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO DO IS JUST TO BE QUIET.
I'M SURE IT'S GOING TO BE QUESTIONS FOR ME.
UH, SIR, I, I I'M, I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE CHARGED YOU ABOUT CAN DO, IN FACT, LIVING OUT IN 45 MINUTES AWAY.
WE MEET TYPICALLY ONCE A MONTH.
WE DON'T GENERALLY HAVE SPECIAL MEETINGS LIKE THIS ONE.
USUALLY I WON'T SAY ANY OTHER, NEVER BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT HA YOU SAID YOU REPRESENT ALEXANDRA AND MONROE.
HOW HOW'S THAT GOING TO FIT IN YOUR SCHEDULE? WOULD YOU HAVE TO COME DOWN TO BATON ROUGE ON THE FOURTH, MONDAYS FOR EVERY MONTH PLUS INTERACT WITHOUT CHAIR, MAYBE ON DAILY BASIS.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S A VERY FAIR QUESTION.
UH, NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS WITH THE CITY OF MONTEREY.
THE CITY OF MONTEREY IS ALSO TWO HOURS AWAY, UH, FROM WHERE I LIVE.
I DO, LIKE I DID LAST NIGHT, I COME DOWN HERE.
NO I'M IN TOWN AND YOU KNOW, I DEAL WITH HER AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, UH, EVEN THIS ISN'T BEING RECORDED, JOKE AND SHE WON'T WATCH DADDY GO AWAY.
I'LL COME IN TOWN THE NIGHT BEFORE.
AND, UH, THE GOOD THING IS THAT YOU GUYS DO IT ON A MONDAY.
SO SOMEBODY EVENING I'D COME IN.
UH, SINCE IF MY WIFE WANTED TO RIDE WITH ME, I'D BRING HER TOO.
SO SHE CAN DEAL WITH HER MOTHER, BUT I MAKE SURE THAT I'M HERE FOR YOU GUYS.
JUST LIKE I'M HERE FOR ANYBODY ELSE.
WHETHER WE DO PLENTY OF STUFF, WE PRACTICE IN NEW ORLEANS, BATON ROUGE FREE FOR ALL OVER THE STATE.
IT'S, IT'S NOT ANYTHING DIFFERENT.
THE GOOD THING IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE ON A SET SCHEDULE.
UM, THE FOURTH, MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH, I LOVE THAT THAT'S ALREADY A PLUS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE MONROE ALEXANDRIA, LEESVILLE BOARDS, THOSE MEETINGS ARE SPORADIC.
NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE, AND YOU JUST HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TRYING TO FIT STUFF INTO THEIR SCHEDULES.
[00:15:01]
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, BUT IT IS KIND OF NERVE WRACKING WITH YOUR BOARD.IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S CONSISTENT EVERY FOURTH, MONDAY.
AND IF THERE'S A SPECIAL MEETING, I'M SURE THAT ME AND THE CHAIRMAN WILL BE IN TOUCH AND, AND MAKING SURE STUFF HAPPENS IN TERMS OF INTERACTING WITH THEM DAILY.
THOSE PHONES ARE A BEAUTIFUL THING.
UH, THE FUNNY THING IS I'M ALWAYS ON MY PHONE, SO IT, IT WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT, NO DIFFERENT.
I'D BE GLAD TO INTERACT WITH THEM AS MUCH AS HE WANTS.
UH, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE A SITUATION WHERE LET'S SAY IS ALEXANDRA LEAVES THE JAIL ON THE NEURO? HAS IT BEEN THAT CONFLICTS WITH OUR FOURTH MONDAY MEETING, WHICH WILL BE AT 10:30 AM ON THOSE MONDAYS? NO, IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN.
SO YOU GUYS WOULD BE THE ONLY BOARD THAT ACTUALLY HAS MEETINGS DURING THE DAY, EXCEPT FOR RUST.
AND I FORGOT THAT WE DO REPRESENT RUSTIN.
THEY MEET AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
LUCKILY THEY'RE NOT NEARLY AS ACTIVE.
UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO GET UP THERE THAT OFTEN, BUT FROM THE PLACES THAT I PRACTICE, PRIMARILY MONROE AND ALEXANDRIA, ALL OF THEIR FIRE AND POLICE STUFF HAPPENS IN THE AFTERNOON.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, OR THE EVENING, ACTUALLY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE MEETING ON THE 10TH IS AT 6:00 PM.
THE MEETING ON THE 23RD IS AT FIVE, THE MEETING ON THE 24TH IS AT FOUR.
SO WE HAVE BEEN KNOWN AS THIS BOY TO ME UNTIL UNGODLY HOURS IN THE MORNING.
WELL, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S, AGAIN, JUST FINE WITH ME, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, OR FORTUNATELY WE'VE HAD SOME DEPENDS ON WHAT SIDE OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY ATTORNEY IS NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL, BUT WE'VE HAD TO GO FROM FOUR TO, I THINK THE LATEST I'VE BEEN THERE, IT'S 2:30 AM.
UH, WE HAD TO DEAL WITH EXACTLY.
IT'S NOT JUST YOU GUYS, SO IT'S NO BIG DEAL TO ME.
OBVIOUSLY WE'LL JUST MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR IT.
I'VE MENTIONED MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO LIVES HERE.
I'VE GOT TWO SISTERS THAT LIVE HERE.
UH, I PLEDGED MY FRATERNITY HERE, SO I GOT PLENTY OF FRATERNITY BROTHERS HERE AS WELL.
I'M AN ALPHA, UH, MR. ROBINSON.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTED COMPENSATION? IF YOU GET SELECTED AS I'M TURNING, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THE WAY I UNDERSTAND BOARD ATTORNEYS GETTING COMPENSATED, BECAUSE I DEAL WITH PLENTY OF THEM.
THEY USUALLY HAVE SOME TYPE OF SET, A SET FEE.
AND THEN IF YOU GO OVER THAT SET FEE, THERE'S AN HOURLY KIND OF RATE DEAL.
I WOULD ASSUME IT WOULD BE THE SAME KIND OF DEAL.
I CAN TELL YOU GUYS THAT MOST OF THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT WE DEAL WITH, UH, WE BUILD THEM ANYWHERE FROM ONE 90 TO TWO 15 PER HOUR.
UH, SO I ASSUME THAT WE WOULD JUST TRY TO FIT IT INTO THAT STRUCTURE AS WELL, THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME TYPE OF A SET MONTHLY RATE, WHICH AGAIN, I'M OPEN TO THAT DISCUSSION.
AND OF COURSE, IF THINGS WERE TO GO OVER, UH, THE HOURLY RATE WE CAN MEET IN THE MIDDLE, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME IF WE CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
UH, MY GOAL IS TO BE WITH YOU GUYS FOR AS LONG AS MR. IS IT FOUL CONE OR FALCON? FALCON WAS HERE.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO LET A FEW DOLLARS A DERAIL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I HOPE THAT'S A DIRECT ENOUGH ANSWER TO YOU.
I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER IN MIND.
I JUST WANT TO BE FAIR WITH EVERYONE.
I'LL SHUT UP AND LET SOMEBODY TALK.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT LOOKING AT ALL THE RESUMES AND YOU WERE MY TOP PICK, I APPRECIATE SEEING YOU, UH, YOUR RESUME WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD AT REPRESENTING WHAT YOU DO AND HOW I THINK IT FITS WITH THE BOARD.
AND, BUT I'VE GOT MY ANOTHER GOOD MAN HERE.
UH, I HAVE A CLIENT NAMED MR. JOHN SMITH.
SO WHEN I SAW YOUR NAME, BUT IT KIND OF STUCK OUT TO ME, MR. JOHN SMITH IS AN INTERESTING CLIENT BECAUSE HE'S BEEN IN ABOUT 14 CAR ACCIDENTS IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
HE HAD NOT THIS ONE, BUT MY GOODNESS.
SO WHEN I SAW YOUR NAME, I WAS BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES.
UH, JUST THOUGHT I'D THROW THAT IN THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? YEAH.
I HAVE THREE SCENARIOS, HYPOTHETICAL STORIES.
I'D LIKE TO JUST PICK YOUR BRAIN AND SEE HOW YOU WOULD ADVISE THE BOARD ON THESE SCENARIOS.
OBVIOUSLY HYPOTHETICAL IN THIS SENSE, AS THE BOARD ATTORNEY, LET'S SAY THAT YOU WERE MADE AWARE THAT ONE OF THE ATTORNEY'S APPELLANT OR APPOINTING AUTHORITY SIDE INTIMIDATED A WITNESS FOR TESTIMONY, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THE BOARD TO DO IN THAT CASE? WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING FOR THE BOARD TO DO IN THAT
[00:20:01]
THAT'S, THAT'S THE RUB.SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE BOARD CAN NECESSARILY DO.
AND JUST BEING HONEST WITH IT, I DON'T THINK THE BOARD HAS THE JURISDICTION, THE DISCIPLINE AND ATTORNEY, OR EVEN DISQUALIFYING ATTORNEY.
WE'VE HAD THAT ISSUE COME UP BEFORE.
HOWEVER, THE BOARD HAS DONE A GREAT JOB, REPRIMANDING ATTORNEYS VERBALLY IN FRONT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, BOTH SIDES AS TO WHAT HAS COME UP BEFORE.
UM, WHAT'S COME BEFORE THE BOARD IN TERMS OF, HEY, YOU'VE INTIMIDATED A WITNESS.
AND GIVEN THAT, UH, THAT CLIENT, WHETHER IT'S THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY OR THE APPELLANT AND OPPORTUNITY THAT TO MAKE A DECISION, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SITUATION.
IF THE JUDGE AND JURY HATE THE LAWYER WAS A CLIENT ISN'T IN A GOOD POSITION.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT IS HOW YOU INDIRECTLY, UH, DISCIPLINE THAT ATTORNEY BY LETTING HIS CLIENT KNOW THAT HE'S DROPPED THE BALL.
SO FOR THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY, THAT COULD BE A BIG DEAL, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE APPELLANT.
AGAIN, I KNOW A LOT OF THE, THE, THE APPELLANTS USE INSURANCE, UH, THROUGH THE UNIONS AND WHATNOT, AGAIN, ANOTHER BIG DEAL.
IT COULD BE A PRETTY HUGE FINANCIAL BURDEN TO FIND OUT THAT THE BOARD IS DISPLEASED.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REFERRING TO DISCIPLINARY.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU, AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT WOULD HAVE TO DO OR, OR WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO IN THAT? SO THAT GOES TO THAT SECOND POINT.
IF IT'S AGREGIOUS, YOU PROBABLY DO WANT TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO TO THE OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL.
UH, I'LL BE AS FORTHCOMING AS I CAN BE.
NO LAWYER WANTS TO DO THAT TO ANOTHER LAWYER.
UH, SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL OF SEVERITY.
UM, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S COME TO YOUR ATTENTION AND THE BOARD IS CONCERNED, WELL, I HAVE TO PUT YOU GUYS FIRST.
AND IF YOU GUYS INSTRUCT ME TO GO TO THE ODC, I WILL, IF, IF, IF IT, IF IT RAISES RISES TO THAT LEVEL, EXCUSE ME.
SO AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, IT'S A SELF POLICING KIND OF THING.
YOU KIND OF WEIGH IN THE BALANCES AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS UP TOO.
THAT'S A GOOD REASON WHY IT'S GOOD TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY THAT'S NOT FROM HERE BECAUSE I CAN GO TO THE BOARD AND NOT CARE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO PRACTICE WITH THESE PEOPLE.
OTHER THAN WHEN I COME HERE, I DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM ON TUESDAY, RIGHT ON WEDNESDAY ON THURSDAY.
SO I CAN COME HERE AND JUST BE OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
AND JUST GIVE YOU GUYS RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF ICE.
AND DOES THAT HOLD TRUE WITH ANY APP THAT YOU'RE, THAT'S REPORTED TO THE BOARD, AS FAR AS ATTORNEY'S MISCONDUCT, YOU WOULD ADVISE THE BOARD THE SAME THING, AND IT WOULD BE A SELF POLICING THING, AS FAR AS WHEN YOU'RE SAYING ANY OTHER ACT.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE OVERCHARGING, I MEAN, AND RELEASING A, AN INDIVIDUAL FROM A SUBPOENA WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO RELEASE THE, SO I THINK THAT'S CONTEMPTIBLE AT THAT POINT.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH SUBPOENAS, THE BOARD HAS THE SAME SUBPOENA POWERS THAT THE DISTRICT COURT HAS.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBPOENAS, THAT KIND OF SHIFTS THINGS AROUND, MEANING THAT, HEY, LOOK, NOW I CAN DO WHATEVER THE DISTRICT COURT CAN DO.
AND I WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST THAT THE BOARD MOVED TO HAVE THAT ATTORNEY PLACED IN CONTEMPT.
AND THEN THAT WOULD GET REFERRED TO THE DISTRICT COURT AND, AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE ATTORNEY CANNOT DO.
THERE IS NO DEBATE ABOUT THAT.
YOU CANNOT RELEASE A WITNESS FROM THE SUBPOENA POWER OF THE BOARD.
I'VE WANTED TO DO IT MYSELF AS A PRACTITIONER, BUT THERE'S NOTHING, NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
AND THE LAST ONE, AND PROBABLY THE MOST EGREGIOUS ONE.
WHAT IF IT WAS REPORTED TO THE BOARD THAT AN ATTORNEY ALLOWED PERJURIOUS TESTIMONY BY A WITNESS KNOWINGLY, BUT WOULD YOU BE YOUR, YOUR ADVICE TO THE BOARD AND AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT DUTIES, AND YOU'RE ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS.
SO THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, WHERE I'VE KNOWN THAT THIS ATTORNEY IS ALLOWING A PERSON TO PERDER THEMSELVES, BROUGHT IT UP TO THE BOARD AND THE BOARD DID NOTHING IN PART BECAUSE THE BOARD ATTORNEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
THE REALITY IS AT THAT POINT, IF IT'S BROUGHT TO THE BOARD ATTORNEY'S ATTENTION, YOU WOULD STOP THE CHAIRMAN AND SAY, LOOK, YOU NEED TO INSTRUCT THIS ATTORNEY THAT IF THIS IS IN FACT PURPOSE, HERDER'S TESTIMONY OR PERJURY, IF YOU ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE KNOWINGLY, THAT DOES GO TO THE ODC.
THERE, THERE IS NO DEBATE ABOUT THAT, THAT YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
MAKING ME OUT TO BE A HARDLINER HERE.
I THINK YOU MIGHT SEE THESE THINGS AGAIN, IF YOU'RE CHOSEN.
THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, THERE ARE SOME, SOME LITIGATION, SOME APPEALS THAT ARE WITHIN 19 JDC CURRENTLY, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT ISSUING FINDINGS OF FACT, WHICH IS WHAT JDC IS ACTUALLY WAITING ON, UH, TWO CASES IN PARTICULAR, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT IF YOU WERE HIRED TODAY, ISSUING THOSE FINDINGS OF FACT? WELL, UH, YOU'D HAVE TO GET THE RECORDS.
YOU'D HAVE TO REVIEW THE RECORD, UH, THE TESTIMONY, ALL THE QUESTIONING, THE BOARD
[00:25:01]
DELIBERATION.I'D PROBABLY WANT TO TALK TO THE BOARD AS TO WHAT THEY, UH, WHAT THEY DECIDED, ALL THAT GOOD STUFF THERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE YOU DRAFT A, YOU JUST DRAFTED UP.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REALITY.
UM, UH, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE FIRM, AND THIS IS ANOTHER THING I'M GLAD WE'RE KIND OF TALKING THROUGH.
WHEN YOU GET ME, YOU GET THE FIRM, USUALLY YOU YOU'RE SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH GOLD WILLIAMSBURG AND SUSAN RUNDOWN.
SO TO THE EXTENT YOU HAD ANY CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, EXPERIENCE OR WHATNOT, I'VE GOT TWO LAW PARTNERS THAT DO THIS.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF IT.
UH, THEY JUST UNLEASHED ME BECAUSE I WAS PRETTY GOOD AT IT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, MY LAW PARTNERS TO YOUR QUESTION ACTUALLY IS WORKING IN BATON ROUGE, REMOTELY FROM HERE ON OUT.
SO IF THERE WAS EVER A SITUATION WHERE I COULDN'T BE HERE AND I DOUBT THAT HIGHLY, BUT IF THERE WAS NEVER, YOU HAVE A GUY WHO'S SITTING HERE READY TO, TO TAKE, TAKE UP ARMS. AND HE BEEN PRACTICING IN THIS AREA FOR 30 YEARS.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, READING THE RECORD, UNDERSTANDING THE RECORD, DRAFTING SOMETHING, BRINGING IT TO YOU GUYS.
HEY, IS THIS WHAT YOU GUYS WANT TO RELATE TO THE COURT AND GOING FROM THERE, HAVE YOU KEPT UP WITH THE HISTORY OF OUR BOARD OR LAST TWO YEARS OF STUFF THAT'S BEEN GOING ON? I HAVE NOT OTHER THAN TO KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN FAIRLY ACTIVE, UH, AND YOU KNOW, FROM JUST HAVING CONNECTIONS IN BATON ROUGE AND WHATNOT, UH, YOU DO SEE CLIPPINGS IN THE PAPER, WHETHER IT'S BOARD MEMBERS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE APPOINTMENT ISSUES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY NOW.
AND WHAT OTHER TIMES DO YOU HAVE THE BATTERIES? OH, MAN.
UH, WELL, MAINLY LET'S START HERE.
UH, SO I TELL PEOPLE I'M FROM BATON ROUGE, BUT I DIDN'T LIVE HERE THAT LONG.
MY PARENTS WENT TO ARKANSAS AND THEN TEXAS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
BUT I RETURNED AND UNDERGRAD, I WENT TO LSU, UNDERGRAD.
UM, THEN AFTER THAT, UH, FOUND MY WIFE HERE, UH, HENCE THE MOTHER-IN-LAW, ALL OF MY SISTERS WENT TO LSU, UH, LSU MED SCHOOL.
I THINK ONE IS THE BABY'S AT SOUTHERN LAW SCHOOL.
NOW I HAVE TWO SISTERS THAT ARE STILL CURRENTLY OUT HERE, AS I MENTIONED, ME AND MR. ROBINSON MADE, UH, THE BEST DECISION IN THE WORLD AND PLEDGING ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY INCORPORATED.
SO OF COURSE, I'VE GOT FRATERNITY BROTHERS HERE.
I ALREADY KNOW I'M HERE PROBABLY ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH.
ANYWAY, JUST TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, SOMETIMES WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW THOUGH, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
I'M SURE I WILL BE SUCH A DEAR PLACE IN YOUR HEART.
YOU KNOW, I GIVE MY MOTHER-IN-LAW A LOT OF A FLAG, BUT I REALLY DO LOVE HER.
SHE'S A WONDERFUL, YEAH, ACTUALLY I MET HER THROUGH HER DAD, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY, THAT WHOLE NOTHER STORY.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? I'M HAPPY TO DO THIS ALL DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING.
WELL, YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD ONE.
I, AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UH, THE CHAIRMAN, UH, PAST CHAIRMAN, CURRENT VICE CHAIRMAN AND THE REST OF YOU ALL AS WELL.
MICHELLE, DO YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GETTING HERE? I MEAN OH YEAH, WE CAN.
WHICH ONE? YOU WANT TO BE MAD? IT'S UH, YEAH.
IT WAS JOSIE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN BEING BOARD ATTORNEY HERE, UH, POSITION.
UH, IF YOU WOULD, WOULD YOU, UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF
[00:30:01]
AND, UM, MAYBE HOW YOU CAN, UM, HELP US AS THE BOARD ATTORNEY? SURE.MY NAME IS ACTUALLY VERONICA JONES, BUT EVERYBODY CALLS ME VICKY.
I HAVE PRACTICED LAW FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN OUT OF LAW SCHOOL SINCE 1992.
UM, WHEN I FIRST GRADUATED, I WAS A LAW CLERK FOR BONNIE JACKSON WHO IS NOW RETIRED.
I LEFT THERE TO GO TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHERE I STAYED UNTIL I RETIRED.
I WAS AT THE PARISH, THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FROM 1994 UNTIL 2015.
WHILE THERE INITIALLY I WAS A CITY PROSECUTOR FOR THE FIRST 17 YEARS.
I LEFT THERE AND THAT'S THE CRIMINAL SIDE OF THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I LEFT THERE TO GO TO THE CIVIL SIDE.
AND THEN I WENT BACK TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DOWN HERE, WHERE I DID ALL OF THEIR PERSONNEL ACTIONS.
I REPRESENTED THE CITY AT THE PERSONNEL BOARD PRIOR TO GOING TO THE BOARD.
I HANDLED ALL OF THE LABOR AND RELATION MATTERS, NOT THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH IS JUST THE REGULAR CIVIL SERVICE.
UM, WHICH MEANS THAT ALL OF THE PERSONNEL BOARD HEARINGS ARE REPRESENTED.
THE CITY PRESENTED THEIR CASE PRIOR TO GOING TO THE PERSONNEL HEARINGS.
I WORKED WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE PAR, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GOT TO THAT LEVEL.
AND, UM, THE WHOLE, WHILE I'VE WORKED, I WORKED FOR THE CITY.
I ALSO HAD A PRIVATE PRACTICE, UM, WHICH I STILL MAINTAIN MY PRIVATE PRACTICE, BUT I DID PRIMARILY FAMILY LAW, SOME PERSONAL INJURY, BUT MOSTLY FAMILY.
SO, UM, I GUESS AS FAR AS THE BOARD IS CONCERNED, I THINK WHERE I COME IN HERE IS I'VE DONE THIS, YOU KNOW, I'VE APPEARED IT.
I DON'T KNOW, UM, PROBABLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED PERSONNEL BOARD HEARINGS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CITY.
AND I, LIKE I SAID, IN MY CAPACITY AS BEING A PARENT IN THE PARENT'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I HAD TO BE WELL-VERSED IN THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS WERE COMPLYING WITH, YOU KNOW, THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES WHEN THEY CAME TO ISSUING DISCIPLINE TO THE EMPLOYEES AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROBABLY WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN IS IF HE BECAME THE VILLAGE ATTORNEY, YOU WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ALMOST, OH, AND NOW FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH CURRENTLY.
HOW, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THAT PROCESS WOULD LAST? I WOULDN'T TELL YOU FOR ME TO, UH, GET UP TO SPEED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON NOW.
IT DIDN'T MEAN SHOULDN'T TAKE VERY LONG.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT, UM, I WOULD JUST NEED A COPY OF WHAT THE BOARDS, YOU KNOW, THE CIVIL SERVICE, CIVIL SERVICE RULES, THE BOARD'S RULES, IF YOU WOULD GIVE ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT SO THAT I CAN SPEND TIME AND MAYBE, UH, IDENTIFY WHAT MAY BE LEGAL ISSUES OR ADVICE THAT THE BOARD MAY NEED AHEAD OF TIME.
IF I COULD MEET WITH YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, ONCE AND TELL ME WHAT KIND OF ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE FACED BEFORE SO THAT I CAN, YOU KNOW, DO SOME RESEARCH AND, YOU KNOW, ADVISE ON THOSE ISSUES AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, PROBABLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AT THE LONGEST, BUT YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU NEED.
LIKE, IF YOU TELL ME WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING NEXT WEEK, THEN I'D BE PREPARED FOR NEXT WEEK.
NOW YOU, UH, DO YOU HAVE A SALARY, UM, REQUEST THAT YOU, UH, LOOKING AT? NO.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF CLICHE TO SAY, BUT I'M NOT REALLY DOING THIS FOR THE MONEY, BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A PRIVATE PRACTICE.
SO, UM, I GUESS WHEN I WAS APPROACHED ABOUT THIS POSITION, IT WAS MORE IN TERMS OF WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP YOU GUYS, NOT NECESSARILY, THIS IS A NEW JOB FOR YOU TO TAKE.
AND, UM, SO NO, I DON'T, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT YOU, YOU WOULD BE FAIR AND COMPENSATION.
AND TO BE FAIR WOULD MEAN WHAT, JUST WHATEVER, I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE SALARY STRUCTURE HAS BEEN, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT'S BECOME COMPLIANT AND THAT IT'S IN LINE WITH WHATEVER, ANY OTHER BOARD ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS.
I MAY WANT TO COME BACK LATER.
WHO APPROACHED YOU? HOW ABOUT THIS JOB? RIGHT.
SOMEBODY TO, I THINK, UM, SOMEBODY WITH THE P UH, THE P NOT THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BRIAN BERNARD IS THE CITY'S, UH, WITH THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT.
[00:35:01]
HE TOLD ME THAT THE POSITION HAD BECOME AVAILABLE.AND THEN I ALSO SAW IT IN THE NEWSPAPER WHEN FLORIDA RESIGNED.
SO, I MEAN, I KNEW THAT IT WAS AVAILABLE.
AND THEN, UM, A COUPLE OTHER ATTORNEY, FRIENDS THAT I KNOW TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE PRISON, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE POSITION.
AND THEY WERE AWARE THAT I HAD ACTUALLY REPRESENTED THE CITY FOR SO LONG AT THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
SO THAT THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT CAME TO ME.
SO YOU'RE AWARE OF, WITH EVERYTHING THAT THE BOARD'S BEEN GOING THROUGH FOR THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING, I AM AWARE OF SOMETHINGS WHATEVER'S BEEN REPORTED, RIGHT.
I'VE GOT THREE SCENARIOS FOR YOU.
AND I WANT TO GIVE IT TO EVERY, EVERY APPLICANT, FIRST ONE BEING OBVIOUSLY WHAT YOU WOULD ADVISE THE BOARD TO DO IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
WHAT IF THERE WAS A COMPLAINT THAT AN ATTORNEY ON EITHER THE APPELLANT OR THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY SIDE INTIMIDATED A WITNESS? WHAT I ADVISE THE BOARD? YES.
WELL, ONE, I GUESS WE WOULD HAVE TO DETERMINE WHERE THAT INFORMATION IS COMING FROM AND HOW RELIABLE THAT INFORMATION IS.
BUT IF IT, EVEN WITH, I MEAN, THAT'S A VIOLATION OF THE ETHICS RULES.
AND SO I WOULD CLEARLY ADVISE IF YOU WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THAT THAT DID OCCUR.
MY FIRST ADVICE WOULD BE THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE REPORTED TO THE DISCIPLINARY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, I DON'T THINK IT WILL RISE TO THE LEVEL, I GUESS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE INTIMIDATION IS, WHETHER IT ARISES TO A CRIMINAL CHARGE, BUT IT IS CLEARLY AN ETHICAL VIOLATION THAT SHOULD BE, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY OBLIGATION AS OFFICERS OF THE COURT TO DO SO TO, TO, YEAH.
I MEAN, IF, BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHERE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR INFORMATION FROM AND HOW RELIABLE THAT IS.
WE COULDN'T JUST HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, ACCUSED ONE OF THEIR ATTORNEYS OF DOING SOMETHING WITHOUT HAVING SOME SORT OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND, BUT IF YOU HAVE THAT, YEAH, WE, I WOULD HAVE AN ETHICAL VIOLATION.
I MEAN, AN ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO REPORT IT.
AND I WOULD CERTAINLY, IF IT IS FOUND TO BE TRUE, THAT ONE OF THE OFFICERS OF THE COURT IS INTIMIDATING A WITNESS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REPORTED.
SAME SCENARIO, WELL, NOT THE SAME SCENARIO, SAME CIRCUMSTANCE IT'S REPORTED TO THE BOARD THAT A, ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS RELEASED A WITNESS FROM A SUBPOENA THAT THE BOARD HAD ISSUED.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO THE BOARD AND YOUR OBLIGATION AS, YEAH.
WHEN ATTORNEY CAN'T RELEASE A WITNESS FROM A SUBPOENA, UM, I WOULD FIRST ADVISE THE BOARD IF THERE'S TIME TO CONTACT THE WITNESS AND ADVISE THEM THAT THE ATTORNEY, NEITHER OF THE ATTORNEYS CAN RELEASE THE, YOU KNOW, THAT PERSON FROM THE SUBPOENA.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF DIALOGUE WITH WHICHEVER ATTORNEY IS ACCUSED OF DOING THAT.
I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT ANY ATTORNEY WOULD EVER SAY THAT THEY TOLD A WITNESS NOT TO APPEAR, BUT IF THEY DID, THEN AGAIN, THAT'S AN ETHICAL VIOLATION AND THE LAST SCENARIO, AND PROBABLY THE MOST EGREGIOUS ONE, THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
I'M NOT, I'M SAYING THESE ARE HYPOTHETICALLY, LET'S SAY THAT SOMEBODY COMPLAINED TO THE BOARD THAT AN ATTORNEY KNOWINGLY ALLOWED A WITNESS TO PERJURE THEMSELVES TO THE BOARD.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO THE BOARD AND WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DUTIES AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT? THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERN I HAVE LIKE ABOUT THE QUESTIONS IS WHERE THE INFORMATION IS COMING FROM.
WE WOULD HAVE, I WOULD DEFINITELY CAUTION TO THE BOARD TO BE CAUTIOUS WITH HOW YOU HANDLE THAT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER WHERE THIS EVIDENCE IS COMING FROM.
AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF AN YOU WOULD WANT TO DO AS FAR AS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT REPORT IS CREDIBLE, BUT THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DETERMINED CLEARLY BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE IS DONE.
BUT IF I WERE ADVISING THE BOARD AND BECAME AWARE FROM A CREDIBLE SOURCE THAT, YOU KNOW, AN ATTORNEY IS ACTING IN APPROPRIATELY, THEN I WOULD HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REPORT IT AS WELL.
BUT NOW REPORTS TO THE DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL CAN BE MADE ANONYMOUSLY.
SO I WOULD NEVER HAVE TO SAY, WELL, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, VICKY JONES BOARD ATTORNEY, AND I'M REPORTING THIS OR THAT.
AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, AS ME AS BEING THE BOARD ATTORNEY, I WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO TALK TO YOU GUYS AND WE'D HAVE TO COME TO CONSENSUS ON HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO HANDLE THAT.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS ARE.
AND THEN AS A BOARD, YOU ALL TELL ME LIKE HOW Y'ALL WANT TO PROCEED AT THAT POINT.
LET ME FOLLOW UP WITH ONE QUESTION.
YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED THIS, BUT WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE ATTORNEY'S ROLE IS WITH THE BOY? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MY ROLE IS TO ADVISE YOU GUYS ON LEGAL MATTERS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD IS FOLLOWING ALL OF THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES IN THE HANDLING OF THE HEARINGS, THE, UH, DISCIPLINARY, WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS.
[00:40:01]
MY ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE AND FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES.ARE YOU ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH OUR BOARD RULES? I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND THAT, UH, THAT THE CITY USES.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME FOR FIRE AND POLICE.
WHEN I WORKED FOR THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I HANDLED ALL OF THE CIVIL SERVICE MATTERS EXCEPT THE FOREIGN POLICE, BECAUSE Y'ALL HAVE ALWAYS HAD A SEPARATE BOARD.
THERE'S ONE KEY DIFFERENCE THEN THAT'S THAT THE FIRE AND THE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE A BILL OF RIGHTS THAT HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.
AND I, I AM AWARE OF THAT, UM, WHEN I WAS RESEARCHING WHAT THE BOARD DOES AND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRE AND POLICE BOARD, I AM AWARE THAT, THAT THERE IS A POLICE BILL OF RIGHTS, WHICH NOW THAT I WOULD HAVE TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH, FOR SURE.
WE'RE REALLY COOL ABOUT THIS BOARD THAT EVEN 19 DC DOESN'T HAVE IS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPEL WITNESSES, TESTIFY, MEANING WE CAN MAKE YOU TESTIFY.
YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU WITNESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING, IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING.
SO TO GET WITNESSES, TO TELL US, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WERE HORSED, LET'S SAY, OR THAT THEY WERE DROPPED FROM SUBPOENA OR TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO COME, WE CAN FORCE THEM TO DO SAY THOSE THINGS OR TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS TO US.
SO ANOTHER UNIQUE ABILITY OF THE BOARD THAT YOU MAY NOT BE USED.
I WOULD'VE MET MY FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS.
UM, IF I'M THE POSITION IS TO GET COPIES OF, YOU KNOW, THE BILL OF RIGHTS, WHATEVER MANUALS THAT THE BOARD HAS SO THAT I CAN LOOK THROUGH THOSE AND FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
BUT I MEAN, I PRACTICED LAW FOR 30 YEARS, SO PROBABLY NOT A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, STUDY TIME NECESSARY.
ANYONE ELSE? ANY, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? DO I HAVE A MOTHER-IN-LAW A MOTHER-IN-LAW NO, I'M NOT MARRIED ACTUALLY DIVORCED, BUT WE, WE MET.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T GET YOUR NAME.
WE ACTUALLY MET ON THE ELEVATOR WITH THE HANDLING MS. PENNY.
THAT MS. PENNY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.
I MEANT TO GET YOU TO ASK MY QUESTION.
I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH WHOEVER YOU DECIDE.
ARE YOU GONNA BE WORKING WITH MS. PENNY THE MOST? OKAY.
WE BECAME FAST FRIENDS ON ELEVATOR THIS MORNING.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? NO, NONE.
I'LL ASK THE APPLICANT WOULD BE MR. WILSON.
WHAT WAS HIS FIRST DAY? BUTCH WILSON.
I TOLD YOU GUYS YOUR HAM, ALL QUESTIONS.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT ONE? YEAH.
DID I LEAVE THIS ON OR TAKE IT OFF? THANK YOU.
MR. WILSON WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN BECOMING OUR BOARD ATTORNEY.
AND, UH, WE'D JUST LIKE YOU TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND, UH, HOW, HOW YOU MAY BE, BE ABLE TO FIT IN OR HELP US AS OUR BOARD ATTORNEY.
WELL, I'VE SPENT MOST OF MY CAREER AS A PROSECUTOR DOING CRIMINAL LAW, UH, THEN WITH THE ORLEANS DA'S OFFICE, UH, WAS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, ST.
JOHN RIGHT NOW AS A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, I JUST HANDLED MAJOR FELONIES, UH, MURDERS AND RAPES MAINLY.
UM, I'VE DONE A LOT OF, UH, GRAND JURY WHITE COLLAR TYPE RACKETEERING INVESTIGATIONS.
SO, UH, I HAVE A PRETTY STRONG INVESTIGATIVE BACKGROUND AS A LAWYER.
I DID A LOT OF THAT WHEN I WAS AT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.
UM, LET'S SEE, UH, I'M A TULANE GRADUATE.
UH, I'VE TRIED A LOT OF JURY TRIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I HAVE HANDLED SOME CASES BEFORE IN FRONT OF A CIVIL SERVICE PANEL WHEN I THINK YOU AND I SPOKE, UH, ONE WAS IN THE, BEFORE THE POLICE AND FIRE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, MORGAN CITY, I THINK THE OTHER WAS IN TIBIDEAU YEARS AGO.
[00:45:01]
THE BOARD RULES, WHICH ARE REVIEWED THEM AGAIN THIS WEEK.UM, AND I'M AWARE OF THE, WHAT THE BOARD DOES AND, UH, HOW APPEALS ARE TAKEN FROM THE BOARD AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THIS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR BOARD, UH, UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UH, SO I JUST DID SOME GOOGLING AND IT SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL HAVE HAD SOME, SOME LONG HEARINGS GOING ON, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, I KNOW THE LAWYER RESIGNED, I THINK WHAT WAS THAT BACK IN SEPTEMBER OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES? SO I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, JUST READING BETWEEN THE LINES, IT SOUNDS LIKE I'VE BEEN HAVING SOME APPEAL, HEARINGS HAVE BEEN GOING A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON FOR THAT'S FOR, I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE.
WHAT'S THAT LAWYERS? WELL, I I'VE IMAGINED A COMBINATION OF LAWYERS AND WITNESSES, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, YOU ARE IN A DEDICATED BODY AND A DEDICATED BODIES ARE ABLE TO CUT LAWYERS OFF.
YOU DO HAVE THAT AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS, UH, I TRIED MY CASES VERY EFFICIENTLY.
THAT'S THE WAY I ACT AS A, AS AN ATTORNEY, WHEN I'M IN COURT, I LIKE TO BE PREPARED.
I LIKE THINGS TO GO EFFICIENTLY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON FOR YOU TO HEAR THE SAME EVIDENCE THREE OR FOUR TIMES.
UH, I, SO I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH A LINE AND I UNDERSTAND THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, AREN'T LAWYERS, YOU KNOW, BUT THE RULES PUT YOU IN A POSITION TO WHERE YOU HAVE TO RULE ON EVIDENTIARY ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT, OR THINGS DO GET OUT OF CONTROL.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M VERY COGNIZANT OF WHERE WHENEVER I'M IN COURT, I TRY TO BE VERY PREPARED BECAUSE I WANT THIS TO GO AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND EVERYTHING IS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT LAWYERS, MAKING THINGS GO ALONG.
UH, TO ME, THE ADJUDICATOR OF BODY, YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL.
AND THE EYE ON THE BALL IS THE EVIDENCE.
IT'S THE PROOF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PROOF, GET THAT ON THE RECORD AND NOW FIGURE OUT WHAT IT AMOUNTS TO.
BUT, UH, LIKE I SAY, I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THESE HEARINGS.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES HAVE BEEN, WHY THE HEARINGS HAVE BEEN GOING SO LONG OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE WAYS OF DEALING WITH THAT.
IF YOUR BOARD IS ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT EFFICIENTLY MOVING THE EVIDENCE, JUST GETTING THINGS ON THE RECORD, YOU KNOW, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I READ YOUR, UH, THE RULES OF THE BOARD.
THERE ARE, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING.
Y'ALL ARE NOT BOUND BY THE NORMAL RULES OF EVIDENCE.
YOU KNOW, THE RULES THEMSELVES ACTUALLY SEEM TO ENCOURAGE A BIT OF AN AD HOC NATURE TO THESE HEARINGS WHERE YOU JUST WANT TO GET EVERYTHING IN.
YOU WANT TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EVEN WITH, WITHIN THE RULES, THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FUNCTION, I DON'T, I THERE'S EXPLICIT EXPLICIT EXCLUSIONS.
AND THOSE RULES, FOR INSTANCE, AGAINST CHARACTER WITNESSES OR WHATEVER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT TYPE OF EVIDENCE IS BEING PUT INTO THESE HEARINGS OR WHATEVER, IF THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S MAKING THEM GO ALONG.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE EXCLUSIONS AND YOUR RULES AGAINST CERTAIN TYPES OF EVIDENCE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL BEEN ASKING WHILE YEARS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH WITNESS LISTS OR WITH PROFFERS OF EVIDENCE, YOU KNOW, UH, IF YOU HAVE, THAT'S GOOD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT PROFFERS IS, YOU KNOW, A GOOD JUDGE WILL ALWAYS GO, WHAT'S THIS WITNESS GOING TO TESTIFY TO? AND YOU SAY, OKAY, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
THIS WITNESS TESTIFIED TO, YOU KNOW, I'M EXCLUDING THAT TESTIMONY.
I'M NOT ALLOWING YOU TO CALL THAT WITNESS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT OF THOSE MECHANISMS, I THINK.
AND IF YOU HOLD LAWYERS TO THEM, I THINK THINGS WILL MOVE MORE EFFICIENTLY.
IF THAT'S A GOAL OF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT Y'ALL, DON'T MIND, YOU KNOW, 14 HOUR HEARINGS OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HEAR EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, OR YOU WANT TO HEAR IT MORE THAN ONCE.
ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS I DON'T OPERATE THAT WAY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU ASKED ME FOR MY OPINION ON AN EVIDENTIARY ISSUE, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A VERY STRAIGHT AND DIRECT OPINION AND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY INDEPENDENT AND FAIR BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW TO OPERATE.
I DON'T KNOW THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR THE MAYOR OR COUNCIL MEMBERS, OR, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE MET MR. BRANDON.
I TALKED TO HIM ON THE PHONE BRIEFLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S IT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT MY CAREER, I'VE BEEN VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH POLICE OFFICERS.
I WORK WITH THEM VERY CLOSELY.
I'VE ALSO PUT SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS IN PRISON FOR BREAKING THE LAW, YOU KNOW, SO I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT, UH,
[00:50:02]
I LOOK AT THIS THE WAY THAT I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT A LAWYER IS SUPPOSED TO DO.YOU LOOK AT EVIDENCE, YOU LOOK AT THE PROOF AND YOU LOOK AT IT IN AN INDEPENDENT FASHION, VERY OBJECTIVELY, YOU KNOW, I CAN, I THINK I CAN HELP.
Y'ALL STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS.
ULTIMATELY, YOU ARE THE DECISION MAKERS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE YOU'RE THE JURY, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK I COULD DEFINITELY, IF IT'S A GOAL OF YOURS TO STREAMLINE THESE HEARINGS AND TO TRY TO GET WITNESSES AND EVIDENCE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ORGANIZED, UH, I CAN JUST TELL YOU, UH, RE REPETITIVE PROOF DRIVES ME CRAZY IN COURT.
UH, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID HE DOES THAT WITH GOOD JUDGES TOO, BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST, IT'S A WASTE OF TIME.
YOU JUST, IF YOU'VE HEARD IT, YOU'VE HEARD IT, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON.
I UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE I'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THESE HEARINGS BEFORE AND THEY CAN GET PRETTY DAMN CONTENTIOUS.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER I DID ONE WHERE IT WAS THE POLICE CHIEF AND THE MAYOR, AND YOU HAD A FULL HOUSE AND THE AUDIENCE, AND I MEAN, IT WAS MORE OF A CROWD THAN I'VE HAD IT AT MURDER CASES.
I'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS GET PRETTY INTENSE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE GET THEIR FEELINGS HURT WHEN THEY'RE IN THESE JOBS.
AND WE ALL KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPAL AGENCIES.
THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE PERSONALITY CLASHES.
THOSE ARE THE HARD JOBS TO DO, WHETHER YOU'RE A FIREFIGHTER OR A POLICE OFFICER OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE TOUGH JOBS, AND THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE PERSONALITY ISSUES.
UH, SO I, I GUESS WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ALL TODAY IS I, WHAT, WHAT, THE BIT I KNOW ABOUT THE BOARD.
I MEAN, I DO KNOW THE ROLES, HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO OPERATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I GOT INVOLVED IN THIS WAS JUST A PHONE CALL FROM, I THINK, ONE OF YOUR FORMER LAWYERS, JOHN KNOCKIN, UH, WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR SOME TIME.
AND, UH, HE JUST TOLD ME HE HAD, I THINK HE'D BEEN CONTACTED BY THE BOARD ABOUT APPLYING AGAIN HERE.
AND HE JUST TOLD ME, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, YOU KNOW? UH, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? WHERE, WHERE DO YOU RESIDE IN BATON ROUGE? I'M RIGHT DOWN THE STREET ON NICHOLSON DRIVE.
YOU, YOU HAVE A COMPENSATION REQUIREMENT.
I, I ALWAYS ASK EMPLOYERS, YOU KNOW, UH, I MEAN, I ALWAYS TAKE IT ON FAITH WHEN I START A JOB AND I'M DEALING WITH HONEST PEOPLE AND I JUST TELL THEM, YOU PAY ME WHAT YOU THINK IS FAIR, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, WE SEE IF THAT WORKS AND IF IT'S AN ISSUE, IT'S AN ISSUE.
IF IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, BUT I TEND TO TRUST PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR THAT, I MEAN, YOU'LL BE FAIR.
AND THAT'S ALL I ASK IS JUST, YOU COME UP WITH WHAT YOU THINK IS FAIR, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE WORKLOAD IS.
UH, AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN ISSUE THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW I'VE READ IN THE PAPER THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL HAVE HAD APPEAL HEARINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DELAYED BECAUSE YOU HAD A LAWYER, BY THE WAY, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE PENDING? YOU KNOW, THIS, I MEAN, HOW MANY APPEAL HEARINGS ARE PENDING THOUGH? THEY'VE BEEN DELAYED THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE.
THAT'S NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGHT I WAS, I WAS GOING TO HAVE LIKE 20 OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE THAT MANY, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGHT.
UM, I MEAN THAT, YEAH, IT'S A, THAT'S A LIGHTER WORKLOAD AND I KNOW I'VE GOT ON MY PLATE IN ST.
JOHN RIGHT NOW WITH THE FELONIES.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME, LIKE I SAY, I DIDN'T COME IN HERE WITH A COMPENSATION NUMBER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THE WORKLOAD IS A LOT BETTER THAN I DO.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, JUST LET ME KNOW.
I'M SURE WE COULD WORK SOMETHING OUT.
UH, I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION WAS I'LL THINK OF IT.
I'VE GOT THREE SCENARIOS WHERE YOU, SIR, DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE, I'VE ASKED ALL THE APPLICANTS, THE SAME THREE SCENARIOS, HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO THE BOARD OR YOUR DUTIES AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT? IF A COMPLAINT WAS LODGED TO THE BOARD THAT EITHER THE APPELLANT ATTORNEY OR AN APPELLATE ATTORNEY OR AN APPOINTING AUTHORITY ATTORNEY AT INTIMIDATED A WITNESS, WHAT WOULD BE THE LEVEL OF INTIMIDATION? I'M GONNA HAVE TO PLAY PROSECUTOR WITH YOU RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE INTIMIDATION CAN RISE TO THE LEVEL WHERE IT ENDS UP IN CRIMINAL COURT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT, IT WOULD, I'M SORRY THAT JUST A THAT'S VERY FACT INTENSIVE.
I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF INTIMIDATION ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? JUST, UH, I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT.
IF YOU DO THAT, I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO YOU.
[00:55:01]
I MEAN, WHEN WE GET AN EITHER OR SITUATION, IF, IF THE, OR HAS SOME REAL MEAT TO IT, THAT'S CALLED EXTORTION.I MEAN, LET'S SAY IT WASN'T THAT SERIOUS.
IT WASN'T TO THAT, TO THAT CRIMINAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXTORTION AND JUST MOUTHING OFF.
I MEAN, AND LIKE I SAY, IT DEPENDS ON THE SPECIFIC FACTS OF EVERY SITUATION.
I WOULD CERTAINLY TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
YOU DON'T WANT LAWYERS TAMPERING WITH ANY WITNESSES OR, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, UH, THAT WOULD CLEARLY BE WRONG, YOU KNOW? UH, BUT THAT, THAT'S A BROAD QUESTION BECAUSE INTIMIDATION CAN INVOLVE SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND LIKE I SAY, I MEAN, I, UH, I, I PROSECUTOR AND EXTORTION CASE, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A FRIEND SINCE THIS WAS A POLICE CHIEF IN LAKE CHARLES YEARS AGO, WHO WAS RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
AND WHAT HE DID WAS HE GOT THE PERSONNEL FILE OF THE PERSON RUNNING AGAINST HIM WHO HAD BEEN AN LSB, UH, STATE POLICE TROOPER.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF NASTY STUFF IN THE PERSONNEL FILE AND HE MADE COPIES OF IT AND STUCK IT.
AND THE CANDIDATES, A MAILBOX WITH A NOTE SAYING, GET OUT OR ELSE HE ALSO DISSEMINATED COPIES OF THIS, LEFT THEM IN THE POST OFFICE.
HE WAS CONVICTED OF EXTORTION.
THAT WAS CROSSING A LINE, THIS MERELY PICKING UP A PHONE OR GOING UP TO SOMEBODY'S FACE AND GOING, I WISH YOU WOULDN'T DO THAT.
IF YOU DO THAT, WHATEVER, THAT'S JUST MOUTHING OFF TO ME.
YOU KNOW? SO IT DEPENDS ON THE DEGREE OF IT.
I MEAN, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, I TAKE, I WOULD TAKE ALLEGATIONS OF THAT VERY SERIOUSLY.
IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU WOULD WANT TO LOOK INTO.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE, IF IT'S CREDIBLE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE CREDIBLE PROOF, THEN YOU HAVE A REASON TO LOOK FURTHER, BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE JUST MOUTHING OFF, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE.
WE WANT WITNESSES TO FEEL RELAXED ENOUGH AND COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO TELL US THE TRUTH.
AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
IF THEY FEEL PRESSURE ON HIM, THE NEXT SCENARIO, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THE BOARD TO DO OR DO YOURSELF AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, IF YOU WERE, IF IT WAS REPORTED TO THE BOARD THAT A WITNESS WAS RELEASED BY AN ATTORNEY FROM THEIR SUBPOENA ISSUED BY THIS RELEASED FROM THERE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IT WOULD BE A WITNESS THAT THAT ATTORNEY HAD SUBPOENAED.
LET'S SAY BOTH ATTORNEY SUBPOENAED, THE SAME WITNESS, AND ONE ATTORNEY RELEASED THIS, THE WITNESS FROM A SUBPOENA.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO THE BOARD AND DUTIES AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, BUT WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? WHY ARE THEY RELEASING THEM? I MEAN, THERE'S ANY NUMBER OF REASONS A LAWYER WILL PUT A WITNESS ON A WITNESS LIST AND THEN NOT CALL THEM AT TRIAL.
YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT 20 WITNESSES ON A WITNESS LIST FOR A MURDER.
I'M TRYING IN THREE WEEKS, I'LL BET YOU FOUR OR FIVE OF THEM.
I'M NOT GOING TO CALL, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S SIMPLY GOING TO BE FOR TIME REASONS OR BECAUSE THEY ARE, THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE, TO PLUG IT OF EVIDENCE THAT I CAN COVER WITH ANOTHER WITNESS THAT I CAN DO MORE EFFICIENTLY.
I MEAN, IF IT, CAN YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR HYPOTHETICAL? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT DOES IT SOUNDS LIKE? WHAT IS PRESUMING IS THAT THERE'S BAD FAITH ON THE PART OF THE ATTORNEY THAT'S RELEASING THE WITNESS FROM THE SUBPOENA.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BAD FAITH WOULD BE.
I SAY A WITNESS WAS SUBPOENAED BY TWO ENTITIES AND APPOINTING AUTHORITY.
THE ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS SPOKE WITH THE WITNESS AND TOLD THE WITNESS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO SHOW UP TO THE HEARING.
YOU'RE RELEASED FROM THE SUBPOENA THAT WAS YOU'RE RELEASED FROM MY SUBPOENA.
YOU'RE NOT RELEASED FROM THE OTHER LAWYER'S SUBPOENA.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN SUBPOENAED BY BOTH SIDES, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT IS CLEARLY UNETHICAL FOR A LAWYER TO TELL A WITNESS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHOW UP IN COURT.
IF YOU ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SUBPOENAED BY BOTH PARTIES, THAT GETS YOU IN A LOT OF TROUBLE IN MY WORLD, YOU KNOW, I WOULD NEVER DO THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE, IF I KNOW THAT A WITNESS HAS BEEN SUBPOENAED BY THE OTHER LAWYER, I'M NOT TELLING, I'M NOT TELLING THAT WITNESS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP IN COURT BECAUSE I DON'T NEED YOU.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT I'M OF THE OPINION THAT WHOEVER IS SERVING AS THE JUDGE IS THE PERSON WHO RELEASES A WITNESS FROM ITS SUBPOENA.
THAT'S THE WAY IT'S DONE IN WHERE I PRACTICE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'D BRING THEM IN THERE AND I GO, JUDGE, I WANT, ARE THEY RELEASED FROM THE SPIRIT? YES, YOU CAN GO.
YOU KNOW, THAT TO ME IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
AND LAST ONE, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE THE BOARD TO DO OR YOU REQUIRED TO DO? AND I WAS AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT, IF A COMPLAINT WAS LODGED TO THE BOARD THAT AN ATTORNEY WAS AWARE OF, PERJURIOUS TESTIMONY BY A WITNESS.
ONCE AGAIN, I MEAN, YOU GIVE ME SOME REALLY INTERESTING CRIMINAL SCENARIOS NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A ATTORNEY SUBORNING
[01:00:01]
PERJURY.THAT, THAT GETS YOU IN FEDERAL COURT.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE TO THE BOARD BE? ONCE AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE NATURE OF THE ALLEGATION OF WHETHER THERE'S SUBSTANCE TO IT.
IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, IT'S JUST LIKE PROBABLE CAUSE, RIGHT? REASONABLE SUSPICION, WHATEVER.
WE HAVE A LEVEL OF INITIAL PROOF THAT IS GOING TO GIVE US A REASON TO LOOK FURTHER, YOU KNOW? WELL, IF, IF THERE'S SMOKE THERE, THEN YOU NEED TO GO LOOKING FOR THE FIRE.
BUT THE POINT IS THAT THERE'S SMOKE TO BEGIN WITH.
IF IT, IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE GOT A REAL PROBLEM THAT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A REFERRAL TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUBORNING PERJURY, THAT THAT IS CLEARLY AGAINST THE LAW.
I KNOW IN FEDERAL COURT YOU GO TO JAIL FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S, IF YOU ALL HAVE HAD THOSE ISSUES, I FEEL FOR YOU BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S BAD, YOU KNOW, YOU DO NOT THAT THAT'S THE, I KNOW THAT LAWYERS WHO HAVE GOTTEN THAT REPUTATION AND THE CRIMINAL WORLD THAT I, THAT I WORK IN ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT TRUSTED, YOU KNOW? AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU RUN UP ON SOMEBODY LIKE THAT, HE'S GOT A REPUTATION.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE USED TO HAVE A JOKE ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, SUCH AND SUCH A FIRM HAS A WITNESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM GOING, YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR YOU AND YOU WOULD GET THAT INDICATION BECAUSE YOU WOULD HEAR THE SAME TALES FROM THIS LAWYER'S WITNESSES AND VARIOUS CASES, SORT OF THE SAME THING, THE SAME SPIEL, WHERE IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE GIVEN A CHEAT SHEET, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT THE TESTIFIED TO, UH, THAT TO ME IS SMOKED.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET THAT KIND OF SMOKE.
NOW YOU GO LOOKING FOR THE FIRE OR WHATEVER.
IF SOMEONE WALKS IN OFF THE STREET AND JUST MAKES THIS NAKED ALLEGATION, WELL, THEN YOU NEED TO TALK TO THEM AND YOU NEED TO FIND OUT, DID YOU JUST HEAR THIS FROM SOMEBODY ELSE IN A BAR? OR WERE YOU THERE? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR PROOF IS BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO JUSTIFY WHETHER OR NOT YOU TAKE THE NEXT STEP, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THOSE ARE WHAT YOU HAD GOT BROUGHT UP TO ME.
AND YOUR THREE HYPOTHETICAL'S ARE AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS ISSUES.
THE LAST THING YOU EVER WANT IS WITNESSES BEING TAMPERED WITH, OR BEING TOLD WHAT TO SAY.
THAT OTHER QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK YOU AS PREVENTING SUCCINCTLY, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE ROLE OF THE BOARD'S ATTORNEY TO BE? I THINK THAT I, THE, THE ROLE OF THE BOARDS ATTORNEYS SHOULD BE TO PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH LEGAL ADVICE BASED UPON THE RULES OF THE BOARD AND THE POLITICAL STATE LAW, THE OFFICER'S BILL OF RIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THE STATE LAWS THAT APPLY TO THESE SITUATIONS OR WHATEVER.
I THINK THE ATTORNEY HAS TO GIVE YOU, IF YOU TURN TO ME AND GO, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO HERE? BASED UPON THE RULES WHILE THE ATTORNEYS SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHETHER OR NOT THE ATTORNEY HAS MORE INVOLVEMENT IN THE CONDUCT OF THE HEARINGS THEMSELVES WOULD BE UP TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALWAYS, I THINK IF, IF YOU WANTED TO BRING ME IN MORE, YOU KNOW, ON, ON EVIDENTIARY ISSUES, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOARD IS PRECLUDED FROM GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WITH COUNCIL OR WHATEVER.
UH, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT, I MEAN, THOSE ARE, I THINK THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE, IT MIGHT STREAMLINE SOME OF THESE HEARINGS AND MAKE THEM GO A LITTLE QUICKER.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU TRY.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION THOUGH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I, I WAS REALLY MORE CURIOUS JUST ABOUT HOW MANY APPEALS THEY'RE ALL AT TENDING, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST GIVES ME AN INDICATION OF, OF HOW MUCH TIME COMMITMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE, BUT THAT, THAT ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT AS SEVEN OR EIGHT, IT'S NOT AS BAD.
I WAS AFRAID IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE 20 OR 30 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN.
THE COURTS, YOU KNOW, THE DISTRICT COURTS ARE JUST GETTING, MOVING AGAIN AT THE COVID AND, UH, WE'RE ALSO SO BUSY RIGHT NOW.
UH, I MEAN, IT'S JUST THAT THE JUDGE IS STARTING TO PUSH TRIALS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION.
I WAS WONDERING IF Y'ALL WERE IN THE SAME SITUATION WHERE THINGS HAVE JUST BEEN DELAYED, SO, UM, THAT YOU REALLY NEED TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS.
WELL, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THAT SORT OF BACKLOG AND IT NEEDS TO BE WEEDED OUT.
I'M GUESSING FAIRLY QUICKLY, BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE STATUTORY
[01:05:01]
TIME LIMITS ON HOW QUICKLY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MOVE.UM, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE OR YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOPE.
I'VE, Y'ALL BEEN VERY FRIENDLY, UH, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY I'VE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW? THANK YOU.
AT THIS TIME, WE'D LIKE TO, UM, TAKE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON NO MAN, GUYS, LOOPER APPLICANTS.
I THINK WE NEED, DO WE HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THIS? WE DON'T THINK WE NEED, I THINK WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE THREE GOOD CANDIDATES.
I'VE BEEN MORE IMPRESSED THAN I, UH, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE.
UM, IF I WERE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION, I THINK THAT MY FIRST CHOICE SIMPLY BASED ON, UM, HIS BACKGROUND AND, AND, UH, CASELOAD TYPE THAT WE'D DEAL WITH THAT, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE CONSIDER MR. DARA.
SECONDLY, I THINK MS. JONES WOULD BE, UH, MY CHOICE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT, UM, HONED IN ON ANY ONE PERSON.
SO I LIKE TO HEAR COMMENTS FROM THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK, BUT I JUST THINK THAT MR. DARA WOULD BE ABLE TO GET SPEED A LOT QUICKER THAN, UH, THE OTHER TWO, BUT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE CASE.
UH, BUT HERE IN THE REST OF THEM, MAN, IT BE ALL GUYS.
UH, I LIKED THE FACT THAT HE SAID WHEN HE GETS STARTED OUR CASELOAD RIGHT AT TIME, MAN, NOT THAT THAT'S MY SOLE PURPOSE IN WALKING HIM, BUT HE SEEMS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AS TO HOW TO GO ABOUT ALAN.
SOME OF THESE STITCHES FLAT THAT WE HAVE THESE FEATURES, BUT HE WAS VERY QUICK TO KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND YEAH, MR. WILSON SEEMED VERY DIRECT.
AND TO THE POINT, THE ONLY THING, MY CONCERN IS TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE, HE SEEMED TO THAT THAT WAS A ISSUE WITH HIM OF A TIME.
AND SOMETIMES WE WILL NEED THE TIME BECAUSE IN ORDER FOR US TO BE FAIR FOR EVERYBODY TO BE HEARD, SOMETIMES YOU DO HAVE TO LISTEN TO SUB, BUT I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT HE SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, HE COULD GIVE US ADVICE ON SHORTENING IT.
I LIKE DAR BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, HE SEEMED TO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE FROM DILLON WITH WHAT WE GOT GOING ON, UM, AND WOULD BE ABLE TO ADVISE US QUARTERLY AND VICKY AS WELL.
I MEAN, SHE'S WORKED IN CIVIL SERVICE LAW, SO THAT GIVES HER AN EDGE.
SO TO SAY, UH, SHE STILL HAS TO GET, YOU KNOW, FIRST ON OUR BILL OF RIGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHICH SHE'S BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 30 YEARS.
SHE SAID THAT SHOULD NOT BE ANY ISSUE FOR HER.
SO YES, I THINK WE HAD THREE GREAT CANDIDATES.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO DECIDE WHICH ONE, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING MR. DARLA WAS MY FIRST CHOICE AS WELL.
MY ONLY CONCERN, I HAVE ONE CAVEAT WITH HIM AND THAT'S HIS FEAR.
I DON'T THINK HE'S GOING TO BE STRONG ENOUGH WHEN HE'S DEALING WITH A MR. RAINES, MR. HAMILTON SCENARIO, WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPOSE THEIR, THEIR STUFF.
THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN WITH MR. DORA.
I THINK THAT MR. WILSON, MR. WILSON WOULD HAVE THAT.
I LIKED BOTH OF THEM SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LOCAL.
THEY DON'T HAVE REALLY HAVE ANY TIES TO WHAT IS LOCAL RIGHT PRACTICES IN THE ORLEANS PARISH AND STUFF LIKE THAT BECAUSE ON HIS RESUME, UM, I LIKED THAT ABOUT BOTH OF THEM.
SO THAT'S MY ONLY, MY ONLY HANG UP IS THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF MR. DARRA AND HIS SORT OF NIST.
HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY ASSERTIVE.
HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO, IF YOU EVER PAID ATTENTION, THEY, THE ATTORNEYS LISTENED TO MR. FLOYD WHEN MR. FLOYD SPOKE LIKE SHUT UP BECAUSE THEY KNOW HE WAS WAY MORE EXPERIENCED THAT THAN THEM, ESPECIALLY IN CIVIL SERVICE BALL.
I WORRY THAT PEOPLE WOULD TRY TO WALK ALL OVER HER DOOR AND THEN THAT'S NOT PRECLUDING MY VOTE FOR HIM.
I JUST, THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN WITH HIM.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF HE IS
[01:10:01]
VOTED ON BY THE BOARD, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, HE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP AND MADE AWARE THAT HE IS THE, UH, FINALS DAY, AS FAR AS WHAT GOES ON IN HEARING.AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE TO BE ON THIS SIDE OF IT WHERE HIS HE'S ALWAYS BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HEARING, NO LONGER QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED EACH ON THE, UH, CONTINUE AS WHAT DO THEY SEE THEIR ROLE WITH THE BULLET B.
AND I PURPOSELY ASKED THAT BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY DOES NOT HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING THE DECISIONS.
THAT'S THE CHAIR'S RESPONSIBILITY.
THE ATTORNEY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GET ADVICE.
SO MR. DOW, OFFICER WILSON ON THE ZONES SHOULD NOT BE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
OUR CHAIR MAKES HIM PUT HIM NEXT TO HIM WITH THE ADVICE OF THE ATTORNEY.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE A HINDRANCE IN EITHER CASE ARE THE THREE PEOPLE I'M TALKING ABOUT, PROCEDURAL WITH THE ABILITY AS CHAIR TO ALLOW THE ATTORNEY TO BASICALLY DEAL WITH ALL EVIDENTIARY OBJECTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I ALLOWED MR. FLOYD TO DO THAT.
IT'S OKAY TO DO TO THE ATTORNEY.
THE ATTORNEY JUST DOESN'T HAVE A VOTING THING, CORRECT.
UM, ONCE THE BOARD ENTERS INTO A JUDICIARY FUNCTION, THIS IS WHY ORIGINALLY AS CHAIR I HAD CHANGED WHEN PUBLIC COMMENT WOULD BE MADE, I MADE THE MISTAKE OF ALLOWING PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER WE HEARD ALL THE EVIDENCE, WHICH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ONCE WE'RE IN THE JUDICIARY FUNCTION, NOTHING SHOULD SWAY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FILE ONCE.
WE'VE HEARD ALL THE EVIDENCE, THAT'S WHY I CHANGED THE PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINNING OF THE HEARING.
AND THAT WAS ON THE ADVICE OF THE STATE EXAMINER AND OTHER ATTORNEYS, UH, INCLUDING MR. POOLEY.
SO I, MY ONLY CONCERN IS HIS LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO SAY THAT I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR HIM.
I THINK HE, UH, BE FUN TO WORK WITH.
I DO WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT MY HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS ARE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED BEFORE.
AND THESE ARE THE FIRST THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THE PLATE OF ANY ATTORNEY.
UH, AS FAR AS THE TRO AND STUFF, I HOPE THAT WE GET A GOOD ATTORNEY THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT TRO MEANS AND, AND READS IT AND ADVISES THE BOARD.
WE, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WERE GOING TO DECIDE AS A BOARD, WHAT THE ATTORNEY'S ROLE IN THAT TRO OR THAT HEARING WITH WOULD BE, WILL THAT ATTORNEY HAS TO GO TO THAT HEARING AND JV THAT'S THEIR JOB OR ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD BECAUSE OF THE, THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND INJUNCTION IS PLACED ON THE BOARD.
UNLESS, AND THAT'S WHY I ADDED IT TO THE AGENDA, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, AND THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH THAT, UM, ISSUES WITH THAT, SOME ETHICAL AND OTHER ISSUES WITH THAT TRO THOUGH, I'M HOPING, I BELIEVE THE BOARD NEEDS A VERY STRONG ATTORNEY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT IF YOU THINK THE LAST TWO YEARS WERE CONTENTIOUS, STANDBY, I THINK IT'S GOING TO GET A LITTLE WORSE IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO, AS A BOARD, HAVE A STRONG ATTORNEY THAT CAN WEATHER THAT AND DEAL WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S MY ONLY ADDIE OUT WITH MR. DARRA.
AND THAT'S WHERE MR. WILSON FILLED THAT VOID.
BRANDON, WOULD YOU HAVE SO WELL, I THINK WE, UH, AS A BOARD, OPPOSED TO TAKING A FIVE MINUTE RECESS BEFORE WE DO THAT.
LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND IMAGINE AND DISCUSS THIS, PUT MY PARKING TAG ON MY CAR.
I THINK THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE AT OUR HOUSE.
CAN WE START LOOKING AT, UM, I GUESS I'LL BRING UP
[01:15:10]
I LIKE IT.I SPEAKING ABOUT A LOT, YOU KNOW, THE FIELD BY LAW THAT WE WOULDN'T KNOW, THE BRANDON HAD, THEY ENDED UP TO THEM.
NO, WE'RE NOT FEEDING OUR BALL OR ARCHERS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THIS PARTICULAR AND I HAVE NO CLUE.
IT'S ALL STUFF THAT YOU CAN APPEAL AFTER THE HEARING.
IT'S WHAT IS IT? YOU DON'T REMEMBER? UM, SO I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE MEETING BACK UP AND OPEN UP THE DISCUSSION TO THE BOARD AS TO WHAT THEIR PLEASURE WOULD BE.
WHETHER IT BE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE BOARD AS TO WHO WE WOULD VOTE ON, OR MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D GO AHEAD AND RECOMMEND THAT MR. JOSHUA, DARA, AND I'LL PUT THAT ON THE FLOOR AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
[01:20:01]
THROW A WILSON, WHICH WAS OKAY.WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO VOTE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE, UH, BETWEEN, UH, JOSHUA DYER.
OH, WE'RE GOING TO INCLUDE ALL THE APPLICANTS.
ARE WE JUST GOING TO DO THIS RECOMMENDS? WE'LL JUST HAVE A ROLL CALL, BUT WHOEVER WENT WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL , WE'LL BEGIN WITH JOSHUA DARA, AMY OFF INDIVIDUALLY.
LET'S INVITE MR. DOWN BACK AND LET HIM KNOW WHEN TO BRING ALL OF THEM.
WELL, YEAH, I THINK WE SHOULD THANK HIM.
WE'VE CHOSEN AARON, THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH ADAM FOR ALL RIGHT.
THEY TOOK THEIR TIME TO BE HERE.
ABSOLUTELY RESHAPE THEM FOR THAT.
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A SEAT? YOU GUYS CAN HAVE A SEAT.
WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL YOU GUYS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE POSITION WE HAVE MOVED, UH, DECIDED ON THE CANDIDATE, UH, AS A NEW BOARD ATTORNEY AND IT'S GOING TO BE MR. JOSHUA DYER.
YOU WOULD, WE WON'T HOLD YOU ANY LONGER, MR. DYER, IF YOU DECIDE TO, UH, YOU'D LIKE TO STAY, BUT WE CAN TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS.
I'M GOING TO MISS MY ELEVATOR.
MR. DYER, WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE YOU, UH, YOU COME WITH A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND RESOURCES AS IT PERTAINS TO US CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOU ASSISTING US IN WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE A DIFFICULT TIME AHEAD.
SO, UM, OF COURSE WE WILL HAVE TO, UH, FORWARD THINGS OVER TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND, UH, FROM THERE YOU GUYS CAN WORK OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IT IS YOU NEED TO DO AS FAR AS THE CONTRACT AND, UM, HOW, HOW FAST WE CAN GET UP TO SPEED.
UM, ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU ARE MY NUMBER ONE CHOICE UNTIL WE GOT TO MR. WILSON.
I DID NOT VOTE FOR YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHY, AND I WANT IT TO ARM YOU SO THAT YOU CAN JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.
YOUR EXPERIENCE LEVEL IS THE ONLY THING THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
HE'S ATTORNEYS THAT WE HAVE ON BOTH SIDES AND ALL, ALL BUYER IN, PLEASE.
SOME OF THEM CAN BE VERY, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? WELL, THEY CAN BE BULLIES.
THEY CAN TRY TO WALK ALL OVER THE BOARD, THE CHAIR, THE ATTORNEY, AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, SO MY CONCERN IS, OR WAS, ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE, IS YOUR LEVEL OF EXPERTISE, THE LENGTH OF TIME YOU'VE BEEN AN ATTORNEY YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ARE GONNA ALLOW YOU OR GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO SHUT THESE ATTORNEYS DOWN? I THINK IT WILL.
I THINK YOU ARE GOING TO BE ASSERTIVE.
I HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY ASSERTIVE WITH THEM AND YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE ROUGH.
UH, LOOK, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT IT REALLY, I DO.
UM, THE, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS ALL THE TIME.
I ACTUALLY ENJOY BEATING UP ON OLD ATTORNEYS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT THEY KNOW EVERYTHING,
[01:25:01]
UM, NOT TO SOUND ARROGANT OR CON OVERLY CONFIDENT, BUT JUST EVEN IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH, UH, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LEFT THE ROOM, THERE WERE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE BOARD'S POWER, OKAY.IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CAN DO AND WHAT THEY CANNOT DO.
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE TELLING ME THAT YOU CAN NOT, UH, COMPEL WITNESS TESTIMONY, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.
IF THEY DON'T TESTIFY, YOU CAN SEND THEM TO DISTRICT COURT.
I HAVE NO CONCERNS WHATSOEVER ABOUT, UH, OLDER ATTORNEYS.
I ALWAYS AM RESPECTFUL AT THE SAME TIME.
THE REALITY IS THE BOARD CONDUCTS THE HEARINGS AS THEY DEEMED FIT.
SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PLAY BY OUR RULES, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN LEAVE VERY SIMPLE, VERY SIMPLE.
[Additional Item]
WE GOT SOMETHING FOR YOU TO LOOK AT.AND WE HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WAS IT THE, UH, UH, POINT OF THAT FILE IS YEAH.
I MEAN, UH, WELL YOU FILED A RESTRAINING ORDER REQUEST AGAINST ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO ASKED HIM FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
BE THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND EMPLOYEE REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION, BE DONE TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE THOUGH.
NOW WE CAN NO LONGER CALL THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
HE IS NOW AN EMPLOYEE BECAUSE HE IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR DISCIPLINARY ISSUE.
HE'S NO LONGER THE APPOINTING AUTHORITY.
HE'S AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE EMPLOYEES, ATTORNEYS ARE FILING A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST THE BOARD FROM DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THIS INVESTIGATION.
AND THE JUDGE HAS SIGNED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, RIGHT.
THERE WAS A HEARING THIS COMING THURSDAY.
AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE IS WHAT SHOULD BE THE VOTE? THE BULL IS POSITIONED.
SHOULD WE BE AT THE HEARING WHO SHOULD BE AT THE HEARING TO IGNORE IT OF WHATEVER.
SO DO YOU IGNORE IT? AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER NOW IN TERMS OF WHAT THE BOARD'S POSITION, THE MATTER, UH, WE STAND READY TO DO OUR, OKAY.
SOMEONE FILES A PETITION FOR AN INVESTIGATION ORDERS.
ARE IT TRIGGERS A 24 77? NOW THE QUESTION WOULD BE OKAY, DO WE FIGHT TEMPORARY? THAT'S DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THE, DOES MAKE THEIR DECISION AS TO WHAT PERSONAL LEGAL OPINION DOES HAVE A RIGHT IN AN INVESTIGATION.
BUT WITH DISTRICT JUDGE, I'D LET THE ARGUMENTS BE HEARD.
UM, LIKE I'D LET THE, UH, THE ARGUMENTS BE HEARD.
UM, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO TAKE A POSITION.
UM, I MEAN, I HATE TO, I DON'T MEAN TO BE FACETIOUS, BUT IF THE JUDGE SAYS YOU CAN'T DO IT RIGHT LESS WORK FOR YOU GUYS, AS THE JUDGE SAYS IT GOES FORWARD, AND THEN WE DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AND THAT'S INVESTIGATE THE CHIEF OF POLICE OR THE EMPLOYEE IN THIS SITUATION.
THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
NOW, DO WE NEED TO HAVE ANYONE AT THE HEARING ON THURSDAY? THAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION.
SO, UM, THE ANSWER WOULD BE SURE.
WHY NOT? WHY NOT HAVE SOMEONE THERE TO, JUST TO BE THERE, BUT I MEAN, AGAIN, ARE WE GOING TO PUT FORTH TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF NOW, THE, WHO SHOULD BE THERE, THE CHAIR, OR YOU EITHER, HOW'S IT GOING TO SAVE MR. CHAIRMAN? YOU'RE WELCOME TO BE THERE.
IF I NEED TO BE THERE, I'LL BE THERE, BUT I'D HAVE TO POST.
I'LL BE THERE ON FEBRUARY THE 10TH, THE 10TH AT 1:00 PM.
[01:30:05]
ASSUMING THAT EVERYTHING WORKS OUT WITH THE PARIS ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, OUR CITY GOVERNMENT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT MAYBE FROM MONROE OR ALEXANDRIA IN THAT EVEN THOUGH WE'RE HIRING YOU AS OUR ATTORNEY, YOU STILL HAVE TO NEGOTIATE YOUR CONTRACT.RIGHT? ASSUMING THAT YOU GUYS COME TO AN AGREEMENT I'D LIKE TO GET WITH YOU AND CATCH YOU UP ON SOME THINGS.
THERE'S TWO, TWO THINGS THAT ARE IN 19 JDC RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE WAITING ON BINDINGS A BACK.
UM, THERE'S ALSO SOME DATES THAT SHOULD BE IN THAT FILE THAT HAVE DEADLINES FOR POSITION PAPERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT FOR THE INVESTIGATION FOR THIS MONTH, THAT YOU'LL NEED TO STAY.
I'M TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE TO CATCH UP, EAT ON.
AND DO YOU WANT TO START WORKING ON THIS NOW? OR DO YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL YOU AGREE WITH THE, GET A SALARY AGREEMENT? SO, UM, TWO, TWO RESPONSES.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO START WORKING ON EVERYTHING.
NOW, I NOW, IN TERMS OF MAKING AN APPEARANCE IN COURT ON THE RECORD, I WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I SPOKE WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY AND HAD HIS APPROVAL BEFORE I DID ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I CAN CERTAINLY BE THERE AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC JUST TO ATTEND THE HEARING, BUT TO THE EXTENT I NEEDED TO MAKE, UH, AN APPEARANCE ON THE RECORD, I DON'T WANT TO GET, UH, MR. DOTSON'S APPROVAL BEFORE I DID THAT.
UH, BUT ABSENT THAT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO START WORKING AND HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING.
I HEARD THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY ABOUT EIGHT THINGS IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW.
SO THERE'S PLENTY OF WORK TO BE DONE.
ANY WORK TO BE DONE? WELL, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF HE WAS INCLUDING BRANDON IN THAT UPDATE THAT YOU DO JUST DOWN SO THAT HE DIDN'T DO IT AS SOON AS WE ADJOURNED.
MR. BEAR, IS THIS YOUR PHONE NUMBER? THAT'S ON THE TOP OF 3 1 8 7 3 0 1 0 4 7.
I WOULDN'T SEND THAT OVER THERE.
UH, MY PHONE NUMBER YEAH, YEAH.
JUST AS A MATTER OF NORMAL, I USUALLY START WORKING AT ABOUT SEVEN, PROBABLY STARTED STOPPED AT ABOUT 6 30, 6 45.
I SAW YOU SENT OUT AN EMAIL AT 7 54 TO MAKE SURE THAT I MOVED, THAT WE A JUNE MEETING THE JOURNEY.