Police Commission flexes muscle; overturns termination of belligerent, tased LSP Lieutenant who resisted DWI arrest.

Sheldon Perkins, who testified during his appeal hearing before the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) of Thursday, May 13, 2021.

At today’s (Thursday, May 13, 2021) meeting of the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC), the appeal of former LSP Lieutenant Sheldon Perkins was heard.

Perkins also has a prior disciplinary infraction for which he received a two-week suspension five years ago for removing evidence from an evidence vault (a $400 ice chest and fishing equipment) and giving it to a retired LSP Lieutenant.

We have been absolutely flooded with emails, texts, and phone calls from active and retired troopers who are irate at the LSPC in overturning Perkins’ termination.  The LSPC did so notwithstanding Lt. Col. Doug Cain testifying that both he and Col. Lamar Davis concur with and would uphold the ruling of prior Colonel Kevin Reeves’ decision to terminate Perkins.

By now, any subscriber of this blog knows where we stand on the LSPC and its dysfunctional nature.  We further hold that the same holds true of the entire civil service system for all Louisiana state employees, and the entire system needs to be scrapped in favor of at-will employment.  We can only add that, after this incident, quite a few other folk seem to now share our sentiments.

The LSPC reinstated Perkins to LSP, albeit with a demotion to Sergeant and a maximum 720-hour suspension.  Although LSP Legal Counsel Michele Giroir repeatedly objected to the less-than-subtle reference Perkins sought to make comparing his discipline to the recent discipline of Kaleb Reeves (son of former Col. Kevin Reeves, and who was recently involved in an at-fault accident wherein an 18-year-old and 13-year-old were killed when he rear-ended their car) even though Reeves’ name wasn’t specifically mentioned.  Perkins, who served pro se, in our opinion, very effectively planted that seed in the LSPC members’ minds, Giroir’s objections notwithstanding.  We guess that’s simply the fallout from Davis’ (in our opinion) mistake in not terminating Reeves!

We will only add that Perkins was wise to serve as his own counsel because his performance, as demonstrated in one of the videos below, was nothing short of masterful!  In our firm opinion, he was greatly aided by LSPC Chairman Simien who, rather than merely serving the role of Commission Chairman, inappropriately served as a de facto attorney for Perkins.  Simien all but replaced attorney Lenore Feeney, whose job it should have been to serve as “referee” (or judge) in making decisions entailing objections and instead Simien literally usurped her authority by making such rulings directly from his seat as Chairman of the Commission.

Simien’s actions alone, in our opinion, form the basis for Col. Davis to appeal the LSPC’s decision to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.  Such a move by Col. Davis would not be unprecedented as former LSP Col. Mike Edmonson did so (though for inappropriate reasons) because he had a personal vendetta against Trooper Jason LaMarca.

Further, it was Simien who, in our firm opinion, tried to have the body cam videos of the two arresting troopers not even viewed at the meeting.  He did so by openly questioning if such viewing was necessary given all the stipulations agreed to.  Giror countered that it is one thing to read an account on paper but quite another to see a video of an incident.  We could not agree more, and it forms the basis for why this is a video blog!

Commissioner Brian Crawford proposed resolution of the body cam issue by suggesting that, at any time, if any commissioner stated a desire to view the body cam video, it would be shown.  The Commission had concluded the hearing and was all set to go into executive session when Commission Member Leonard K. Knapp meekly raised his hand and said, “I’d like to see the video.”

So folks, without further ado, let us present to everyone the video of the hearing, the body cam video (warning:  repeated profanity on the part of Perkins) which, again, we can present to you only as a result of Knapp meekly asking to view it, and the video of the LSPC’s ruling, which we can tell everyone that, based on the feedback we’ve received, is universally viewed with utter disdain and contempt:


May 13, 2021 appeal hearing of former LSP Col. Sheldon Perkins.


Body cam video of Perkins’ arrest (again – Warning:  extensive profane language abounds).

LSPC ruling upon conclusion of hearing.

So there you have it folks:  Another LSPC meeting, another first-rate clown show for which there was no price of admission!

Contractor Billy Broussard, rebuffed by CPPJ Attorney Sam Gabb on request to dissolve restraining order, disseminates petition to call upon Police Jury to insist on dissolution.

Calcasieu Parish Police Jury (CPPJ) attorney Samuel Gabb.

Shortly after publishing our sneak a smooch feature entailing the former Gravity District 8 of Ward 1 of Calcasieu Parish attorney, Russell J. “Rusty” Stutes, and his efforts to have his assistant, Kim Bienvenu, lure contractor Billy Broussard into a conference room and thereafter attempt to “sneak a smooch” from him (thus likely leading to sexual harassment allegations, if not even worse allegations against Broussard), he (Broussard) fired off this email seeking for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury (CPPJ) attorney, Samuel Gabb, to dissolve the approximate 6-year-old restraining order prohibiting Broussard from conversing with members of the CPPJ.

Broussard’s March 31, 2021 email to Gabb basically hit him right up against his forehead with a 2″ x 4″ similar to the way Broussard did with his previous attorney, Robin Sylvester, resulting in her losing all self-control and severing ties with Broussard.  In doing so, she was quick to reference “crooked judges” in Calcasieu Parish as being a key reason she was severing ties with Broussard.

Unlike the knee-jerk reaction of Sylvester, Gabb chose to ignore Broussard all together, which we could have informed him is no more advisable than Sylvester’s knee jerk reaction!

Accordingly, after permitting Gabb with a three-week period to respond to him and hearing nothing, Broussard put his offensive team back on the field by filing this online petition to be submitted to the CPPJ seeking for them to insist that Gabb dissolve the restraining order.  We’re going to reproduce the content of Broussard’s petition at this time because it succinctly states what Broussard alleges transpired that they want him to keep his mouth shut about:

Contractor Billy Broussard contends FEMA fraud was committed by Drainage District 8 of Ward 1 of Calcasieu Parish wherein funds intended to be paid to him for cleanup work after Hurricane Rita were instead re-directed to pay the Drainage District directly and thereby stiff him.

He claims that documents critical to prove his contention were withheld from him and his legal team (current Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and attorney Robin Sylvester) by the Drainage District.

Upon him uncovering those damning records after his litigation via his own public records requests, the Gravity Drainage District and the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury (through their respective attorneys, Russell Stutes and Sam Gabb, respectively, who acted on their own and WITHOUT a vote of either body) drafted a Restraining Order prohibiting Broussard from making further public records requests of either body and further prohibiting him from speaking with members of either public body.

The purpose of this petition is to seek for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury to dissolve the restraining order and thereby restore Billy Broussard’s Constitutional Rights to speak with its members about what all transpired!

The petition obtained 67 signatures in no time flat, and we certainly welcome others to visit the petition’s website and sign for those who would like to show support for Broussard’s efforts.

On Monday, May 10, 2021, Broussard sat down for a brief video explaining his rationale for organizing the petition.  We began his interview, however, with a brief mention that, regarding our last feature (Rep. Villio’s patently-absurd effort to load esthetics students down with another 250 hours of schoolwork), her bill was scheduled to be heard today (Wednesday, May 12, 2021) in the Senate Commerce Committee.

We’ll give Villio credit for sizing up the impending bloodbath she was going to encounter at that Senate Committee meeting and sidelining the bill for this session.

The benefits of her bill (for us at Sound Off Louisiana) are that we got quite a few phone calls after we published our feature.  Those calls came from the sources for some of the prior features linked in Sunday’s feature on Villio’s bill.  The bottom line is that the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology is comprised of members who are akin to problematic kids.  You leave them alone to act responsibly, and they start throwing temper tantrums and get emboldened to hoot, holler, and carry on (and in the case of one Board Member, start pounding his fist on his chest as if he’s God).  We therefore are going to resume our filming of their meetings for an indefinite period until these unruly kids’ behavior starts to improve!  We’re sure they’re delighted for us to regularly resurface once again because we could see from last week’s meeting just how much they  have missed us and especially our camera!

With that little disclosure out of the way, let’s take a look at Broussard’s video of Monday, May 10, 2021:


Broussard’s 5/10/21 video elaborating on his online petition seeking to have the CPPJ direct its attorney, Samuel Gabb, to dissolve the restraining order HE (not the CPPJ) placed upon Broussard.
[Editor’s Note:  We began filming Episode 2 of the feature referenced above; however, we encountered technical difficulties with our camera, so that video will be produced and included in a subsequent feature].

Now, we know the question that is on everyone’s mind:  Folk openly wonder why we at Sound Off Louisiana continue to publish features on Broussard when the fraud which he contends transpired was many years ago.  The answer is simple.  On September 29, 2020, an important meeting transpired in which Broussard walked away very, very pleased!  We were told of the specifics of the meeting, and we certainly can understand why Broussard was so excited.  There was supposedly just one little requirement.  As noted above, Gabb used the “stick” years ago to silence Broussard.  From this meeting, a “carrot” was dangled in front of Broussard, but the carrot also had a catch just like Gabb’s stick.  What was that catch?  Broussard tells us that it was that he had to keep his mouth shut!

As of the date of this publication, we are now 225 days after that all-important meeting Broussard told us about (there were other meetings soon thereafter).  Obviously, Broussard is no longer elated and is, in fact, quite frustrated.  While the matter as it pertains to that all-important September 29, 2020 meeting remains open, Broussard’s willingness to keep his mouth shut (for which no written agreement for him to do so was ever presented to him) is clearly waning as evidenced by the petition in which he seeks to be permitted to open his mouth and discuss his whole matter with the CPPJ.  The big question is:  Will the CPPJ do as his petition asks and direct Gabb to dissolve the restraining order against him or will that body go along with Gabb’s rogue action and decline to direct Gabb to dissolve the restraining order?  That ball is clearly now in the CPPJ’s court!

In wrapping this feature up, we’ve seen in news reports in the aftermath of the two hurricanes which struck the Lake Charles area last year that recovery is “painstakingly slow.”  That doesn’t surprise us because, with Sound Off Louisiana’s founder, Robert Burns, having worked as a Federal government fraud investigator in his past, he has little doubt at this point that FEMA has shifted from a trusting approach with Calcasieu Parish officials to one of apprehension and perhaps even downright distrust given the sheer magnitude of the fraud Broussard alleges transpired in Calcasieu Parish in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita.  That’s just a thought, but it should be as good of an explanation as any as to why recovery from last year’s back-to-back hurricanes seems to be “painstakingly slow.”

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Estheticians, blindsided by Rep. Villio’s bill to require an additional 250 hours of schoolwork, gear up to actively oppose her effort in Senate Commerce Committee.


At the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology meeting of Monday, May 3, 2021, Executive Director Steve Young (pictured above) has to emphasize to Chairman Edwin Neill that there is “no such thing” as a pure esthetics school and that any school needs to be a cosmetology school which may merely have a focus on esthetics.

It’s been quite some time since we last reported on the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology (LSBC – note if anyone tries to access that website during any weekend period, it won’t function as the Board’s IT chief still has concerns over “hacks” — never mind that the rest of America and world have functional websites on both weekdays OR weekends).

We have always taken the approach that, if our phone isn’t ringing or we’re not receiving email complaints about the Board’s actions, everyone must be somewhat content (or perhaps more appropriately, too fearful of retribution) to justify reaching out to us.

That changed about 10 days ago when a number of Louisiana estheticians began calling, emailing, and texting to us their extreme frustration concerning HB-327 (the Legislature apparently IS capable of operating a website on weekdays OR weekends, so feel free to click on that link anytime!) by Rep. Deborah Villio (R-Kenner).  Villio succeeded Rep. Julie Stokes, who opted not to seek re-election in 2019.  Her bill, if it becomes law, would require an individual seeking to specialize in the practice of esthetics to take an additional 250 hours of coursework (in addition to the 750 already required) in order to tout an esthetics specialization (i.e. be an “advanced” esthetician).

There was a huge backlash among estheticians.  Consequently, the bill was amended so that all estheticians having a license on or before April 30, 2022 are grandfathered and exempt from the requirement to take the additional 250 hours.  Hence, one of the biggest losers of passage of this bill would appear to be juniors in high school because they will graduate in May of 2022.

The amended bill sure does beg the following question:  If the LSBC is so concerned about public health and safety, which is ostensibly the Board’s mission (trust us, they’re not — they’re concerned ONLY about maximizing revenues for cosmetology schools by loading students down with more and more hours of instruction, especially when the tuition for such coursework is covered with Federal funds as is stated to be the case for these 250 additional hours), then why are existing estheticians grandfathered and exempt from the bill’s requirements? 

Apparently, it’s just fine if existing estheticians continue to practice without this knowledge that only newly-minted estheticians are deemed to need to possess.  We can only surmise that the LSBC is of the belief that the public is welcome to still be subjected to the harm the existing estheticians may inflict upon it from not having this knowledge of “advanced” esthetics being required of the new kids on the block!

As everyone knows, we love videos because we strongly believe, whenever possible, in letting Louisiana citizens tell their own stories (i.e. letting them “Sound Off”).  Three estheticians who are not happy at all with Villio’s legislation, which had already passed the House Commerce Committee without any of them having the slightest clue the bill had even been proposed, did magnificent jobs of “sounding off” before, during, and after the LSBC meeting of Monday, May 3, 2021.  Let’s take a look:

 
Estheticians Christy Mackiewicz, Kristen Ruel, and Lauren Prats literally sound off to the LSBC on Monday, May 3, 2021.


Mackiewicz, Ruel, and Prats spend just a few minutes after the LSBC meeting to state the degree, if any, to which the amendments allay their concerns regarding the bill.


Prats self-produced this video slamming Villio and others over this bill.

Villio states at the outset of the third video above (and we want to make certain to quote her VERBATIM!!!):  “House Bill 327 is, in all seriousness, a public protection bill.”

WOW!!  Villio may be the most out-to-lunch, out-of-touch Legislator in the ENTIRE Louisiana Legislature!  Let’s take just a few moments to provide highlights of just how concerned with “public protection” the fine folks at the LSBC are (we could provide plenty more, but these will suffice for purposes of this feature):

Historical Corruption and Job Obstruction Acts by Louisiana Cosmetology Board:

  1. Massive legal fees to resolve Vietnamese discrimination litigation during which Federal Judge Brian Jackson openly stated, “Constitutional rights were clearly violated.”  [Additional reference:  former Congressman Joseph Cao lambasts the Cosmetology Board for recklessly disregarding search and seizure rights entailing Vietnamese manicurists].

 

  1. More massive legal fees entailing litigation regarding eyebrow threaders.

 

  1. For two consecutive years, thwarting Rep. Julie Emerson’s initiatives to permit hair braiders to practice with no license and, in fact, openly cheering Sen. Regina Barrow’s initiative to impose MORE licensing requirements on hair braiders! They did this notwithstanding the fact that the governor who appointed them, Gov. John Bel Edwards, openly supported Emerson’s initiative!

 

  1. A Board employee, Winn Johnson, routinely selling answers to the cosmetology licensing exam for $500/pop.

 

  1. Closing down Jennifer Menard’s mobile salon, which was a huge benefit for residents of assisted living facilities for obtaining hairstyling.

 

  1. Having done absolutely NOTHING about licensed instructor Kevin Martin’s permitting unauthorized “observers” on to a public school campus in Lafayette Parish (with it having been stated these unauthorized “observers” may have been charged $5,000 “cash under the table” in exchange for him allowing them to “observe” these courses and take the cosmetology licensing examination).

 

We feel KLFY’s follow-up feature is worthy of repeat at this time:

 


KLFY feature of May 22, 2018.  CLICK HERE to view the actual letter sent by Lafayette Parish District Attorney Keith Stutes to Burns.

Now, entailing KLFY showing up at Martin’s school and thereafter Attorney General Jeff Landry announcing to KLFY that his office was “launching an investigation,” (see opening seconds of above video and the caption on the screen shot above), our source for the feature was nothing short of ecstatic.  We quickly cautioned that source, however, that, “Yes, and Landry can very easily close the investigation five minutes after the camera crew leaves.”

One of our sources in Landry’s office telephoned us about seven months later and stated, “Mr. Burns, I feel someone owes it to you to let you know that we never conducted any investigation.”

Given the absolute mockery Landry has made of the AG’s Office and the absolute total joke it is now viewed as by Louisiana citizens with even a few functioning brain cells, we were by no means surprised.  Furthermore, being blunt, we believe Landry’s much-anticipated run for Louisiana Governor in 2023 is doomed from the outset due to actions like the one we just stated (and we’ve heard from TONS of folk frustrated by incidents like what Landry did with us)!  That’s to say nothing of Landry’s other recent well-publicized problems which we won’t even bother with repeating on this feature.

Most folk who’ve followed this blog for an extended period already know what our sentiments were toward former Rep. Julie Stokes.  Her lack of fiscal conservatism and lack of any desire to control an out-of-control state budget, combined with some very dogmatic ideas she had on tax reform, in our humble opinion, contributed to what she had to assess as an  utterly embarrassing 5th place showing in a Special Election for Secretary of State.

How was anybody to know that her successor, Rep. Villio, would cause some conservatives, and that certainly includes us at Sound Off Louisiana, to be willing to get down on our hands and knees and beg for Stokes to come back over her clearly-out-to-lunch, TOTALLY out-of-touch successor, Deborah Villio?  We feel certain she’ll have strong opposition in 2023 based on what we’ve seen so far!  To say that she is an absolute unmitigated disaster is a huge understatement!

In the meantime, we’ll see how she and her initiative fare in Senate Committee, where we fully anticipate a very different forum to include very stiff opposition to this bill, to be in the offing.  If this piece of absolute garbage legislation manages to pass and get signed into law, God help us all who strive to make Louisiana a business-friendly state!

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