Federal Court Rules Former Louisiana Governor Can’t Dismiss Case Over Juvenile Inmates in Adult Prisons

A federal court ruled on Sept. 4 that former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards cannot dismiss a lawsuit by juveniles who said they are being imprisoned in a Jackson Parish facility that also houses adult inmates. The ruling was handed down by U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, who found that defendants in the case—who also include Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) Deputy Secretary William Sommers and Louisiana Public Safety and Corrections Department Secretary James Leblanc—had previously “made promises and representations to the Court that were not trustworthy.” Should all of the youth in the custody of the OJJ be removed from the Jackson Parish and housed in OJJ secure care facilities, the lawsuit will be moot, the judge said....