Sound Off Louisiana

Jacob Brown, son of former LSP Chief of Staff under former Col. Kevin Reeves, Robert Brown, was recommended for “consideration of termination” while serving as a Cadet in the LSP Academy in 2015.

On December 10, 2020, one of our most steady and relaible sources within Louisiana State Police (LSP) advised us that we would be intrigued by what all we’d see if we made a public records request for LSP Trooper Jacob Brown’s academy records.

We immediately made the request and, on January 27, 2021, LSP attorney Faye Morrison informed us that the requested records were ready for review.  The next day, January 28, 2021, we showed up at LSP offices and commenced to scan all 184 pages of Brown’s LSP Academy records.

Our source certainly was right about what all we uncovered in the records.  Briefly, in addition to challenges regarding basic writing and grammar skills, Brown repeatedly violated a ban on contraband during his tenure as a Cadet; furthermore, he repeatedly lied to his superiors regarding his possession of contraband.  The end result of that was this two-page memo dated March 6, 2015 by Sergeant Len Marie which recommended that Brown be “considered for termination.”  From the memo:

HE IS WILLING TO CUT CORNERS AND EXPRESS HIMSELF IN A DISRESPECTFUL AND DECEPTIVE MANNER. RETAINING AN
EMPLOYEE WHO HAS ALREADY PROVEN THAT HE IS WILLING TO BE DISHONEST EXPOSES THE DEPARTMENT TO NEGLIGENT RETENTION. THESE ARE TRAITS OF A TOXIC EMPLOYEE THAT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE WITH HIS TRAINING, AND THEREFORE BE CONSIDERED FOR
TERMINATION.

We provided the memo to WBRZ’s (Channel 2 in Baton Rouge) Investigative Reporter Chris Nakamoto on Friday, February 5, 2021.  Nakamoto also subsequently obtained the same memo from his own sources and contacted us to confirm that it was an official document released to us by LSP as part of our public records request.  Once he had that confirmation from us, he was off to the proverbial races!  Let’s take just a few minutes to view video news features of Nakamoto’s original feature of December 11, 2020 as well as a feature broadcast on yesterday’s (February 9, 2021) 6 p.m. newscast:

WBRZ (Channel 2 in Baton Rouge)’s Chris Nakamoto’s original feature of December 11, 2020 on Jacob Brown and his  2/9/21 feature.

Now, as is apparent in the feature above, Nakamoto references and interviews several attorneys representing one of Brown’s alleged victims, Aaron Bowman, entailing Brown’s alleged use of excessive force.  That incident transpired on May 30, 2019, or about 20 days after the Ronald Greene incident.  Let’s briefly dissect what all has transpired in that litigation.

1.  The original suit had a plethora of problems entailing improper agent for service of process, improper locations and descriptions of state agencies, etc.  The suit, originally filed on September 21, 2020 in Fourth JDC in State Court in Monroe, also focused heavily on establishing that prescription had not transpired since the suit was not filed until well over a year after the incident.
2. The suit was subsequently moved to Federal Court in Monroe as requested by LSP.
3. Quite a few more attorneys, many of whom are interviewed by Nakamoto in the above features, were enrolled as counsel representing Bowman.
4. Magistrate Judge Karen Hayes (the same one overseeing the Greene suit) provided plaintiff until January 15, 2021 to amend the suit to correct the obvious problems referenced in # 1 above.
5. On January 15, 2021, Bowman filed this amendment as well as this amendment.
6. One day prior to the above amendments, on January 14, 2021,  Bowman filed this motion indicating that all claims giving rise to Federal jurisdiction were being dropped and therefore asserting that Federal Court no longer has subject matter jurisdiction, and that the matter should therefore be remanded back to State District Court.
7. On January 15, 2021, Magistrate Judge Hayes established the parameters for the Remand Motion.
8. On February 4, 2021, the University of Louisiana System filed opposition to the matter being remanded back to State Court, and other defendants, such as the Monroe Police Department and City of Monroe, the next day, February 5, 2021, filed opposition which merely piggybacked off of the U of L filing.

Meanwhile, the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) has slated on its agenda for tomorrow (February 11, 2021) the placement of Brown on Leave Without Pay (LWOP as it’s known).  We’ll certainly be there to videotape the Commission’s deliberation of same and any comments made pertaining to the request.

No matter what transpires at tomorrow’s LSPC meeting entailing Brown, however, what’s undeniable is the fact that a memo such as Sergeant Marie drafted on March 6, 2015 is nothing short of pure gold for Bowman’s attorneys!  Further, it is truly sad that so many members of LSP’s upper brass would expose taxpayers to massive liability and individual citizens to such unbelievably inappropriate treatment.

Perhaps one individual whom we hold in very high regard summed it up best when he stated:  “If you haven’t figured this out, LSP upper brass saw to it their sons were hired because otherwise they’d end up having to be right back in their parents’ home with those parents providing their support.”

In concluding this feature, let’s give a very brief update to our Ronald Greene feature entailing adding the late-LSP Trooper Chris Hollingsworth’s wife, Darby, to the litigation.  Here are bullet points of the latest developments in that matter:

1.  Former Col. Kevin Reeves has been dismissed from the litigation.  As subscribers may recall, the Court granted the “access to Court” argument advanced by LSP (i.e. that nothing any defendants did denied Greene the right to pursue action in court), and as pointed out by Magistrate Judge Hayes, she’d previously dismissed that claim against ALL defendants.  Since that was the only claim against Reeves, his own Motion to Dismiss became moot.  Reeves was not awarded attorney fees.
2. The Motion to Substitute Darby Hollingsworth for her deceased husband and former LSP Trooper, Chris Hollingsworth, was denied; however, the Judge stipulated that Greene’s attorney could take leave of court to depose Darby Hollingsworth for purposes of obtaining knowledge of who Chris Hollingsworth’s heirs are and also provided Greene’s attorneys until March 17, 2021 to file another Substitution Motion naming those heirs (be it Darby or otherwise).
3. Kory York (as well as other LSP Troopers) filed notice that he intends to appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals the Federal Court’s ruling failing to grant his Motion to Dismiss him from Greene’s litigation.

As anyone can plainly see, taxpayers incur massive legal fees for the kind of renegade behavior that seems to be so prevalent among LSP Troopers, particularly a subset in Monroe, which just so happens to be the very Troop from which former Col. Reeves emerged as leader to assume his utterly disastrous reign as Colonel of Louisiana State Police.

Again, we’ll let our subscribers know of the LSPC’s decision on Jacob Brown’s application for LWOP later this week after we’ve attended tomorrow’s LSPC meeting.

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LSPC Chairman Eulis Simien, Jr.

On January 11, 2021, Louisiana State Police (LSP) retired trooper Leon “Bucky” Millet fired off this email to members of the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC).  We welcome our subscribers to read Millet’s email in full if they’re so inclined, but suffice it to say that one of his key points in the email is that there is no oversight over LSP.  From Millet’s email:

It has become quite evident that there is no oversight over the Louisiana State Police.

Sound Off Louisiana’s Robert Burns was copied on the email [as were Gov. Edwards’ Executive Counsel, Matthew Block; the Metropolitan Crime Commission; AP reporter Jim Mustian; WBRZ (Channel 2 in Baton Rouge)’s Chris Nakamoto; WWL (Channel 4 in New Orleans)’s Katie Moore; Republican State Representative Blake Miguez; and Republican State Representative Philip DeVillier (son of retired LSP Trooper Tanny DeVillier)].

Given Millet’s focus on “no oversight over LSP,” Burns chose to “reply to all” with the following one-sentence response:

Well, I guess the words of former LSPC Commissioner Lloyd Grafton of February 9, 2017 beginning at the 4:45 mark here, https://youtu.be/0-X1ju-iX_s, right before he resigned in utter frustration, have proven to be VERY prophetic!!

For the second LSPC meeting in a row, Burns’ presence was requested outside in the hallway for a one-on-one discussion.  At the December 10, 2020 meeting, it was LSP Chief of Staff, Doug Cain, who sought Burns’ presence as a pre-emptive move in anticipation of our recent 20-year-old LSP cable television theft feature which focused on Cain.

At the January 14, 2021 LSPC meeting, it was Chairman Eulis Simien, Jr., who requested Burns’ presence in the hallway.  Once Burns was outside the hallway, Simien had the following very terse commentary for Burns:  “Mr. Burns, you’re obviously welcome at all of these meetings, and you’re entitled to your opinion, but I’m letting you know that I think it was absolutely irresponsible for you to post that this Commission has no integrity!”  Shortly thereafter, Simien stormed back into the meeting room to prepare for chairing the meeting.

Let us now address Simien’s commentary to Burns.  We challenge anyone to click on the preceding link of the You Tube video above, go to the 4:45 mark (as Simien had been guided to do), and listen to what former LSPC Member Lloyd Grafton had to say.  Heck, we’re going to make it easier than that.  We’re about to provide a 74-second video for which the first 19 seconds entail the commentary Burns was directing Simien and other recipients to listen to regarding Grafton’s commentary.  The remaining 55 seconds of the video below entail OTHER commentary by Grafton transpiring BEFORE the commentary to which Burns directed Simien.  Here’s that 74-second video for which the first 19-second segment is Grafton making the point which Burns referenced in his one-sentence response email:

Excerpts from January and February 2017 LSPC meetings, the first 19 seconds of which entail former LSPC Commissioner Lloyd Grafton stating:  “Right now, we have no oversight whatsoever over State Police!“

Now, we’ll ask our subscribers this question:  Given Millet’s emphasis on lack of LSP oversight and given Grafton’s words in bold above (occurring precisely where Burns directed Simien to go on the video), would not any objective person conclude that, if Millet’s contention is indeed true (that LSP has no oversight), then can Grafton’s utterance of the exact same words almost four years ago be anything short of “VERY prophetic,” as Burns stated to Simien and others that they were?

Simien got his dander riled up not over what Burns directed him to watch on the video but instead over other material which was on the same video which we’ve placed onto the video above.  After all, since Simien obviously feels there should be a focus on it, we’re only too happy to accommodate his desires!

Clearly Simien demonstrated frustration that Matthew Block most likely watched the entire video and listened to Grafton’s other commentary (before the segment Burns referenced) wherein he said that the LSPC, “has no integrity.”  So, Chairman Simien has such thin skin that he:  #1) incorrectly stresses what Burns was focusing on entailing Grafton’s words to be lack of LSPC integrity rather than lack of LSP oversight, and #2) he obviously cannot handle another former colleague point-blank stating that Simien himself “has no character” (explanation forthcoming shortly).  He likely flat-out didn’t like Grafton stating that, “anyone who took part in that lynching of Cathy Derbonne I call low life and has no character, and I stand by that!”

Wow!  What a statement by Lloyd Grafton (not Robert Burns) to make about Eulis Simien!  Why do we say he’s making that statement about Simien?  Because if one watches from the 0:19 – 0:29 mark of the video above, when the roll is called to “accept (former LSPC Executive Director) Cathy Derbonne’s resignation,” Simien states (verbatim), “As is her desire to resign, I will accept.”

Since Simien seems so fixated on “integrity on the LSPC,” let’s examine his actions under the hood a little, shall we?

Prior to that vote to accept her resignation, as alleged in Derbonne’s lawsuit against the LSPC, she states that she was taken into a room and strong-armed into submitting her resignation.  From her suit just linked (Paragraph 27):

During that recess, members of the Commission pressured Petitioner to resign or they would humiliate her in public and that they already had enough votes to fire her.

So, Simien, upon exiting a room wherein such a strong-arming tactic was deployed, would have the absolute unmitigated gall to state, as plainly seen on the video above, “As is her desire to resign, I will accept.”

So, exactly how much integrity does that demonstrate on Simien’s part?  Not that we brought it up, but since he did, just how much integrity does that entail to make an utterly asinine statement of, “as is her desire to resign,” when he knew freaking well that most certainly was NOT her desire at all?!

We will also point out that Chairman Eulis Simien, Jr. is the ONLY sitting member of the LSPC to vote to accept Derbonne’s resignation!  That’s correct!  He is the ONLY (O-N-L-Y) one!

Now, perhaps Simien chose to unload on Burns after he himself had been unloaded upon by Gov. Edwards or a member of his staff (perhaps Block?).

After all, if Gov. Edwards is being vetted for a high-level position in the Biden administration, little video clips of one Commission member stating that a FEMALE Executive Director of one of Gov. Edwards’ Commissions was the victim of a “lynching” to terminate her and that the one and only present-day member who voted to essentially can her (the suit is more kind and technical in referencing the whole episode as a “constructive discharge”) not only remains on the Commission but actually serves as Chairman of that Commission certainly don’t help Edwards’ cause!

Were Biden Administration officials to inquire further, perhaps they may ask Gov. Edwards why there was such dogged determination to flush Derbonne.  Edwards could only respond with, “Well, because she did as my Commissioner of Administration, Jay Dardenne, instructed her to do and reported illegal campaign contributions to the Louisiana Board of Ethics.”

Hypothetically, if a Biden official vetting Edwards then asked, “What ultimately came of that and to whose campaigns were the illegal contributions made?” Edwards could only respond with, “Well, $17,500 of the contributions were to my own campaign, and the Louisiana Board of Ethics did slap the contributors, The Louisiana State Trooper’s Association (LSTA), with a $5,000 fine.”  Heck, perhaps Edwards may even then assert that his office had told Derbonne to, “shut the f— up,” but she just would NOT listen!   Again, from the previously-linked litigation (Paragraph 17):

he stated that the Governor’s office had told Petitioner [Derbonne] to “shut the f up”……..

Nah, the optics of that probably don’t look so great for Edwards nor any efforts to obtain a high-level position within Biden’s administration, but, hey, it’s all that blogger Burns’ fault, seeing as how he’s so “irresponsible” and all,  huh?

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Lloyd Kelly, moments after filing his qualifying papers with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office for the Louisiana U. S. House of Representatives District Two.  The election is set for March 20, 2021.