Jacqueline DeRobertis

Jul 14, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Jacqueline DeRobertis

A settlement has been proposed in the lawsuit over a contentious “megasubdivision” in Livingston Parish that would allow the project to move forward with some limitations, seeking to head off a trial at the end of the month. But the settlement still has to be approved by the Parish Council, which has faced enormous pressure from residents to block the project over fears of worsening traffic, overcrowding schools and increasing flood risk.

Jul 11, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Jacqueline DeRobertis

As another sweltering fall semester looms, the Livingston Parish School Board passed a measure to retrofit 151 school buses with air conditioning in a bid to keep students cool and attract more drivers. Bus drivers have complained for several years that their buses are too hot to be comfortable or safe for either themselves or the children who ride them. In the past, school leaders have discussed the potential cost of retrofitting the buses, to no avail.

Jul 5, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Jacqueline DeRobertis

Louisiana's prison system did not wrongly hold an inmate for more than 500 days after he was supposed to be released, a federal appeals court has ruled. Reversing a lower court, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Department of Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc, dismissing a lawsuit by inmate Percy Taylor. It was a legal win for a department that has faced significant scrutiny over how it calculates sentences.

Jul 5, 2024 | newsbreak.com | Jacqueline DeRobertis

Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments.

Jul 3, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Jacqueline DeRobertis

A 3-person panel appointed to negotiate a legal settlement with a "megasubdivision" developer over allegations the Livingston Parish government is illegally blocking the project was dissolved just days after it was formed. It is the latest in a tense standoff between the local government and the developer, which has begun to reveal fractures in the parish council under the intense pressure of an upcoming federal trial.