Ray Nagin in Contempt

My email box has been filled with email alerts from the NRA and other pundits have recognized the point, but it bears repeating here.

Ray Nagin found in contempt. It turns out that Ray and his ex-police chief were found in contempt this morning in Federal Court in the suit brought by the NRA to return the guns unlawfully seized during the Katrina debacle.

Judge Carl J. Barbier, presiding over the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, granted NRA’s motion for contempt against New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Warren Riley for “failure to provide initial disclosures and to compel answers to discovery” during NRA’s injunction against the City for their illegal gun confiscation of law abiding citizens following Hurricane Katrina in 2006.

The judge isn't the only one to hold Ray Nagin in contempt. A review of the current literature reveals that one hell of a lot of people hold Ray Nagin in contempt. Unfortunately, the decision of Judge Barbier is the only one that has the weight of law.

Judge Barbier had interesting comments about counsel, too.

Furthermore, Judge Barbier concluded the delaying tactics by the City’s attorney, Joseph Vincent DiRosa, Jr, to be “wholly unprofessional and shall not be condoned”. Mr. DiRosa admitted in Court that he had “no good reason” to explain his actions and has been ordered to pay partial legal fees to NRA’s attorneys for their wasted time and money.

Of course, he's just being a lawyer.

As a cop, I know what would happen if I were found in contempt in a federal or state court. I'd be jailed until such time as the Court decided that I was no longer in contempt.

Judge Barbier should lock up Ray Nagin until he complies with the Federal order. It's interesting that in a city with a high murder rate, in a city struggling to get a handle on the criminal element, in that same city the government unlawfully seized weapons belonging to law-abiding citizens.