The Louisiana Supreme Court is having second thoughts about its recent decision granting a new trial to a death-row prisoner based on a claim that prosecutors railroaded him.
Louisiana Supreme Court denies rehearing for former Lafourche councilman
The Louisiana Supreme Court denied a rehearing request for a former Lafourche Parish councilman convicted of falsifying public records.
In a 4-3 decision June 29, the court denied a request for a new hearing by James Bourgeois, who was convicted in 2018 of filing falsely declaring he was a permanent resident of the district.
The court voted 4-3 in May to reinstate the conviction after an appeals court overturned it last year.
Chief Justice John Weimer of Thibodaux and Justices Piper Griffin and Jefferson Hughes III cast the three dissenting votes in both rulings.
The state s highest court has reinstated the conviction and sentence for a former Lafourche Parish councilman accused of falsely declaring he was a permanent resident of his district.
After hearing evidence from both sides in March, the Louisiana Supreme Court Thursday reinstated the conviction for James Bourgeois, who was convicted in 2018 of filing false public records.
The case now heads back to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge.
Following Bourgeois’ conviction by a six-member jury, District Judge Steven Miller gave him a suspended three-year sentence and ordered him to serve two years of supervised probation and 200 hours of community service.