DA Jails Victims for Refusal to Testify, Report Says DA Jails Victims For
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Week of April 17 - April 23,, 2017 Providing ‘News that matters’ for years VVOOLL.. XXCCII NNOO.. 3311 Since 1925 9w1 ww.louisianaweekly.com 50 cents Dept. of Education pick to head its Civil Rights office once said she faced discrimination for being white By Annie Waldman Candice Jackson “gravitated” toward a Stanford Review . “We need to allow each Department’s most important — and con - ProPublica section of the class that provided students person to define his or her own achieve - troversial — branches in a different direc - with extra help on challenging problems, ments instead of assuming competence or tion than her predecessors. A longtime The new acting head of the U.S. she wrote in a student publication. Then incompetence based on race.” anti-Clinton activist and an outspoken Department of Education’s Office for Civil she learned that the section was reserved Although her limited background in civil conservative-turned-libertarian, she has Rights once complained that she experi - for minority students. rights law makes it difficult to infer her denounced feminism and race-based pref - enced discrimination because she is white. “I am especially disappointed that the positions on specific issues, Jackson’s erences. She’s also written favorably As an undergraduate studying calculus at University encourages these and other dis - writings during and after college suggest Stanford University in the mid-1990s, criminatory programs,” she wrote in the she’s likely to steer one of the Education Continued on Pg. 13 JACKSON DDAA jjaaiillss vviiccttiimmss Previous road- rage incident to ffoorr rreeffuussaall factor into ttoo tteessttiiffyy,, Joe McKnight murder trial rreeppoorrtt ssaayyss A previous road-rage incident involving the man who By Della Hasselle, Contributing Writer fatally shot NFL player Joe McKnight on Dec. 1, 2016 will be used by Jefferson Parish prosecutors to present their case against Ronald Gasser, according to a motion filed in Jefferson Parish court recently. n 2016, a rape victim was jailed for rant, which allows a victim who has cho - of the district attorney’s office. Gasser, 55, shot the 28-year-old former John Curtis and eight days because she refused to sen not to come forward or cooperate in a In the report, Levine said the decision to University of Southern California standout after attend Criminal District Court in case to be arrested for failing to testify issue a material witness arrest warrant McKnight allegedly cut him off in Algiers. Gasser, who New Orleans and testify on behalf when subpoenaed. should never be taken “lightly.” lives in Gretna, reportedly followed McKnight six miles of the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s The prevalence of just such warrants was “When making such a decision, an assis - and fatally shot him after the two men exchanged angry Office. among many criticisms the local group had tant district attorney should consider factors words in Terrytown, La. She was held in the Orleans Justice of court-related proceedings in New including: the seriousness of the offense, the The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said that I Orleans last year, according to a 38-page strength of the case, and the public interest CIenter — the same facility where her McKnight got out of his car and confronted Gasser after alleged aggressor was also being held, report released on April 11. in punishing the defendant and deterring Gasser followed McKnight from Algiers to Terrytown, according to the criminal justice watch - Simone Levine, the group’s executive others from committing similar crimes,” the Gasser remained in his car and fired three shots at dog group Court Watch NOLA. director, said the rape victim was one of at report read. “A prosecutor should also con - McKnight, who was reportedly standing near the passen - The victim was placed in jail because of least six arrested and incarcerated for fail - ger window of Gasser’s car. Gasser remained at the Continued on Pg. 13 something called a material witness war - ing to come to court and testify on behalf scene of the shooting for police but was not immediate - ly arrested. The high-profile shooting, which took place nine months after former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith was killed in another road-rage incident, prompt - ed harsh criticism of the JPSO because of JP Sheriff Newell Normand’s initial refusal to arrest Gasser. Pain of state preemption felt by the Normand held a press conference days after the inci - dent and angrily defended his decision not to immediate - ly arrest Gasser. The sheriff angrily read comments from social media that used the N-word to refer to a number of South’s vulnerable communities Black ministers who defended Normand and essentially By Allie Yee between local, state and federal ones to feel its impact. The brunt munities are fairly clear. Recent dared critics to protest the shooting and the JPSO with Contributing Writer officials over who has power to of those consequences are borne efforts by state lawmakers to any action that ran afoul of the law. set local agendas on issues rang - disproportionately by women, limit local leaders’ ability to set A peaceful protest followed with no arrests being made, (Special from Facing South) ing from environmental protec - people of color, LGBT people, bathroom policies affecting but demands for justice for Joe McKnight continued. — As rifts between liberal-lean - tions and minimum wage to low-income communities, transgender people or to extend On Dec. 5, four days after McKnight was killed, Gasser ing blue cities and largely con - immigrant integration. immigrants and those at the nondiscrimination policies to was arrested and charged with manslaughter. That charge servative red states widen across But while preemption under - intersection of these identities. protect LGBT communities are was upgraded to second-degree murder on Feb. 2. the South, much of the focus has mines local officials’ authority With some preemption efforts, been on the political jockeying to govern, they are not the only the impacts on vulnerable com - Continued on Pg. 2 Continued on Pg. 2 New initiative helps moms gain access to fresh produce at farmers markets By Tia Alphonse Through the Crescent City Farmers Market, Foundation, the proposal came to fruition for The program has two facets. Contributing Writer local mothers can join the Market Mommas mothers in the New Orleans area, this year. The first features a Market Plus WIC CVV Club, where members earn up to $80 a month The healthy moms program, as it’s referred Pilot program that offers $48 in vouchers each Breastfeeding mothers, or those who receive to spend at the farmers market. to by Market Mommas program manager month for up to six months for moms that show benefits from federal programs like Women, Prior to this program, mothers in Louisiana could Victoria Williams, benefits local mothers by Infants and Children, better known as WIC, now not use their Cash Value Voucher or CVV cards in removing financial burdens and expanding Continued on Pg. 13 have a unique, new resource for healthy options. local farmers markets – they were only valid in their access to nutritious food choices. On Jan. 28, the Crescent City Farmers Market grocery stores. Katheryn Parker, the executive “We’re able to afford more of the local pro - (CCFM) began piloting a program to help moth - director of Market Umbrella, applied for a grant duce that we enjoy,” said Melissa Taylor, a ers gain access to more fruits, vegetables and allowing these vouchers to be shown in exchange Jefferson Parish member of the Market other fresh local produce. for food. With the backing of the Kellogg Momma’s Club, and a mother of four. THE LOUISIANA WEEKLY - Page 2 YOUR MULTICULTURAL MEDIUM April 17 - April 23, 2017 The Trump Administration lost again in court, this time on Voter ID By Jessica Huseman the Voting Rights Act of 1965.” election. Voters could sign an affi - new legislation created “a new leg - the law was intentionally discrim - for June to decide on a remedy ProPublica When it passed in 2011, Texas’s davit explaining why they didn’t islative mosaic.” He added: “It inatory “in due course.” In her for the law, which could include law had the country’s strictest have ID, and then show an alter - paints a new picture of Texas’ ruling issued yesterday, the judge putting Texas back under federal A federal court in Texas has voter ID provisions. It required nate form of non-photo ID to cast intent with regard to voter ID.” wrote that Texas’ passage and voting rights oversight. again ruled the state’s 2011 voter one of seven forms of Texas or their ballots. Legislation that Over the course of Gore’s argu - defense of the law “revealed a The Supreme Court declined to identification law intentionally federally issued IDs to vote and essentially locks that compromise ments, which lasted only a few pattern of conduct unexplainable hear the case in January, saying the discriminated against minorities. allowed exemptions only for dis - in place is now being considered. minutes, Ramos repeatedly asked on non-racial grounds, to sup - case had not yet worked its way It’s the latest loss in the case for ability or age. It allowed no excep - Proponents of voter ID argued him to explain how a bill proposed press minority voting.” through the lower courts. But the Texas — which has spent years tion for low-income voters. that the case for intentional dis - in 2017 would impact how she While the state claimed the law justices will have an opportunity to unsuccessfully defending the law. Civil rights groups have long crimination was no longer valid should rule on whether a law was necessary to combat in-person consider it again.