Attorney Jill Craft asserts “LSP freaked out” in response to WBRZ’s Nakamoto feature on Gee, but State Police Commission denies Motion to summarily grant his job back.

Former Louisiana State Police (LSP) Trooper Nicholas Gee sits at the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) meeting of February 8, 2024 as Louisiana State Trooper Association (LSTA) attorney Floyd Falcon pleads with the LSPC to rehire Gee because his administrative leave and annual leave was running low in the aftermath of an announced Federal Investigation by the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana entailing possible Veteran’s Administration (VA) fraud.

On May 2, 2023, former WBRZ news reporter Chris Nakamoto (now with WAFB, Channel 9 in Baton Rouge) aired this feature entailing then-LSP Trooper Nicholas Gee receiving over a year of “stay away pay.”

In his feature, Nakamoto included several other problematic matters entailing LSP Troop F (Trooper Michael Reichardt’s plea deal on “doctor shopping” for pain pills along with the then-ongoing Ronald Greene matter), so for purposes of this feature, let’s just focus in on that segment of his report that dealt with Gee.  Here’s that approximate one-minute excerpt from Nakamoto’s linked feature above:

Segment of 5/2/23 WBRZ feature focusing on then-LSP Trooper Nicholas Gee.

On February 8, 2024, Gee appeared before the LSPC, and LSTA attorney Floyd Falcon, who readily admitted he’d only gotten Gee’s case the day before, attempted to plead Gee’s case to be returned to work because his collective leave was running low.

At the conclusion of Falcon’s arguments and LSP’s rebuttals, brand new LSPC Commissioner Ross Bourgeois, as reflected on the linked-video above, made a Motion to, “approve the suspension and permit Trooper Gee to use his leave until it is exhausted.  Should he exhaust his leave prior to the next Commission meeting, Trooper Gee would be placed on administrative leave with pay.”

The measure passed with no dissents; moreover, then-LSPC Chairman Eulis Simien, Jr., stressed to LSP that there was “no information” to justify LSP’s request to suspend Gee without pay, which is what LSP was seeking.  Simien then stressed that, if LSP was so inclined, the agency could, “appear at the next meeting with more information.”

LSP did not follow up at the next LSPC meeting as Simien had admonished the agency to do if it wished to continue its efforts seeking a suspension without pay.

At the LSPC meeting of Thursday, February 13, 2025, attorney Jill Craft, whom Gee has retained to represent him, presented Gee’s case for why LSP should Summarily (i.e. without the need for a hearing) Grant Gee his job back.  Let us provide a 12-minute highlight video of the arguments Craft made, LSP’s opposition arguments, and a segment of dialogue between Craft and LSPC Member Michael DuBos.  Here is that video:

2/13/25 LSPC Meeting during which Craft asserts that LSP “freaked out” in response to the above Nakamoto news feature.

To the extent there are future appeals wherein Craft serves as the attorney for a trooper, what we’re guaranteed is a friendly (for the most part) bantering between Craft and DuBos.

We say that because, as DuBos served as Defense Attorney for multiple Troopers from Troop F entailing alleged use of excessive force (including obtaining a Temporary Restraining Order blocking the Troopers’ administrative investigations as well as Federal Court jury acquittal of former Trooper Jacob Brown on alleged Civil Rights violations), it became very obvious to us that he has extensive knowledge of LSPC Rules and procedures and has obviously extensively defended police officers during his career.

Meanwhile, Craft, who has dedicated her entire legal career to government employee litigation, is the unquestioned legal authority on labor law, grievances, and whistleblower legal actions in Louisiana.  Thus, dialogue between Craft and DuBos at future meetings should be akin to a heavyweight boxing match between two very well-qualified fighters.

As such, there was a very extensive dialogue between Craft and DuBos which was professional but certainly argumentative between them entailing  extreme minutia of LSPC Rules.  We provided only a small segment in the video above, but for anyone who may want to watch their drawn-out discussions, feel free to do so by viewing the Gee matter in its entirety at this link.

Since the LSPC declined to Grant Craft’s Motion to Summarily give Gee his job back, there should be a full-blown appeal hearing on Thursday, March 13, 2025 (unless delayed).  If so, we’ll be there to cover that appeal hearing.