The credit card thing is still happening

Chaos's LaToya float. It wasn't very good.

The Cantrell credit card case is starting to feel like the Tom Benson family saga to me.  It didn't matter to me which Benson got to inherit the old man's ill gotten empire of stolen public money.  But I was interested in seeing the details of Tom's "mental competency" evaluation entered into the record.  The records were sealed but some of it leaked out eventually anyway.  Was it worth it? Eh.

Similarly, I'm not too enthusiastic to see Jeff Landry score political points by turning what should be a systemic evaluation of official city spending perks into a "witch hunt" (LaToya's lawyer's phrase.) But I am interested in seeing what the case might uncover regarding our local money clubs and their general conceit that they own and run everything and everybody.

Currently, Landry is trying to subpoena LaToya's personal financial records.  Regardless of how the rest of the case goes, this subpoena might actually lead to something interesting. Which is why Cantrell's lawyers are most interested in quashing it.  In order to do that, though, they'll first need to decide which judge can rule on it.  Landry has argued that any New Orleans judge is going to run into some conflicts of interest in this regard and so has asked to have Laurie White recused. It's reasonable to assume a local judge will probably be inclined to protect the same corrupting interests such a subpoena might reveal so I think Landry might have a point. In any case, I think it's less likely we'll see those records if the case stays in New Orleans.

And, well..

Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell's credit card case could land back in Orleans Criminal District Court after an ad hoc judge on Friday (Feb. 23) ruled local judges don't have to recuse themselves in the case, according to Cantrell's attorney.

Billy Gibbens confirmed that Judge Freddie Pitcher Jr. issued his ruling after a hearing on the matter. Pitcher didn't expand much on his decision, Gibbens said, only saying that Attorney General Jeff Landry didn't meet the burden of proof in the case.

Landry says he's not going to contest the ruling. So it's up to Laurie White now. Are we going to see the records? Or do we have to wait around for more whispers like we did in the Benson case?