Attempted murder, actually: A young punk who was charged with 2 armed robberies a year ago in the 8th District beat an attempted murder rap last Wednesday (5.28.08) in Criminal District Court.
He, or his attorney, had the good sense to request a jury trial--and it's well known that a jury of peers in Orleans Parish rarely convicts a brother for his misdeeds. We have no details on the charge; he, of course, could be innocent. Yeah, right.
James Allen, 20, still must face a charge of armed robbery in the French Quarter in which the victim essentially apprehended him. A black dude with dreadlocks and wearing a blue bandanna over his face pushed a white man, walking near the corner of Chartres and Gov. Nicholls streets at 3:19 a.m. on 5.1.07, into a doorway and demanded money.
The victim gave him a dollar. The robber, apparently dismayed with the amount offered for his efforts, pulled a handgun. The victim, apparently offended by the escalated demand, fought with his assailant until the perpetrator freed himself and fled on Gov. Nicholls. The victim chased him while calling 911 on his cellphone. The victim and police caught up with him at Royal and Gov. Nicholls streets near Verti-Mart, where police arrested Allen.
Police also suspected Allen for a robbery a couple of days earlier on 4.29.07 at 4:26 a.m. in which a man fitting Allen's description--a prominent "10th Ward" tattoo under his left eye--got out of a black Chevy Monte Carlo as it pulled up to the victim's car at stop sign at Annunciation and Poeyfarre streets in the CBD and demanded the victim's money and jewelry.The DA, however, refused to prosecute Allen on that charge last July.
They were only cops: A 21-year-old gun-toting woman from the country walked away free a couple of weeks ago despite originally being charged with aiming her firearm at a couple of cops in the French Quarter.Calizza Coyne, of Folsom, was originally charged with 2 counts of attem
pted first-degree murder, 2 counts of illegal use of a weapon, and aggravated assault with a firearm upon a peace officer. By the time the DA got done, all charges against the would-be cop killer were dropped.
pted first-degree murder, 2 counts of illegal use of a weapon, and aggravated assault with a firearm upon a peace officer. By the time the DA got done, all charges against the would-be cop killer were dropped.When police arrived in the 800 block of St. Louis Street near Bourbon Street at 6:08 a.m. on 2.16.08, they found Coyne shooting her gun in the air. As they approached, she took aim at them. When she refused to drop her gun, one of the officers fired his at her but missed. Had he been a better shot she would have been going to see Jesus instead of the DA.
Calizza's birthday is in a couple of weeks--let's hope she doesn't come to the French Quarter to celebrate.
Calizza's birthday is in a couple of weeks--let's hope she doesn't come to the French Quarter to celebrate.
Not really robbery, was it?: Back in the early morning hours of 3.26.08, at 4:05 a.m. to b
e exact, a 34-year-old white guy went with a woman to her room at 608 Iberville St. for purposes we can only imagine. Once there, her real boyfriend allegedly pulled a pistol and demanded the victim's cellphone and wallet, which contained $71.The victim later identified Ricardo Rodriguez, 45, from a photo lineup and detectives charged Rodriguez with armed robbery with a firearm, possession of crack, possession of prohibited drug paraphernalia.
The moral of this story, as you might imagine, has to do with the fact the DA made the armed robbery charge go away, leaving only a minor drug charge.
The moral of this story, as you might imagine, has to do with the fact the DA made the armed robbery charge go away, leaving only a minor drug charge.
Hey, copper: Catching a copper thief is probably not the easiest things for cops to do, b
ut the police did manage to apprehend Billy Black, 38, for the alleged theft of copper in the 1000 block of Canal Street (by Burgundy Street/University Place). They charged him with theft over $500 and criminal trespass.The DA knocked off the theft charge and Billy pled guilty today (6.3.08) to the trespass charge. Judge Terry Q. Alarcon gave him 30 days in jail with credit for time served. Considering he'd been in OPP since his arrest 3.28.08, he's long gone by now. Watch your downspouts!
White boys can't be convicted: We just heard about it today, but back on 4.23.08 the
DA decided not to prosecute a white guy for possession of heroin--just like 2 other charges against him for possession of crack and cocaine that have been dropped in the last 2 years.So much for the efforts of the 8th District Taskforce officers who arrested Joseph E. Booth, 41, at "Crack Corner" (Dauphine and St. Louis streets) on 4.2.08 at 9:23 p.m.
Hard to tell why he's getting all these breaks. Black dudes rarely do.
Hard to tell why he's getting all these breaks. Black dudes rarely do.
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Thom Kahler
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