The Second Extraordinary Session of the state legislature called by Gov. Jeff Landry to take on the out-of-control level of crime in Louisiana is making great headway. The problems we face in the state are daunting and have been brought about by years of leftists dominating the focus of the criminal justice system on rights of the perpetrators. Gov. Landry understands the focus should be on the victims, not coddling career criminals, no matter what the age, especially when they are repeat felony or violent offenders.

 

If anyone needs an understanding of what this means, what it is like for families and victims of crime to navigate the legal system to seek justice, and the horror of finding out that your loved one was killed or catastrophically injured by people who have long, illustrious criminal careers and are still out on the streets, just give a look at the victim testimony in the hearing on Wednesday in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee.

 

Especially notable is the testimony of Mrs. Sherilyn Price whose son, Boogie B, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a grocery store at 3:00 pm, when he came home to New Orleans to spend Christmas with family. I highly recommend you listen to what she told legislators who were wringing their hands over juvenile names being revealed to victims of crime so they could follow the case in the courts. She wished her dead son’s biggest problem today was that his name was out on the internet. Time code is at 22:15 in this video.

 

The shocking information released in a draft report in January, 2024, by the Louisiana Legislature’s Violent Crime Task Force from the Office of Juvenile Justice from fiscal years 2016 to 2023 revealed the number of juveniles in Louisiana adjudicated of a violent offense increased from 1,408 to 2,199, an increase of 56%.

 

Another of the most startling data points came from the Louisiana Department of Public Safety, which found the average length of time served by an inmate is actually less than 15% of their actual sentences. The agency also told the task force that only 5% of Louisiana’s prison population is serving 30-year sentences and the average sentence time for a violent offender is less than six years. This is upside down. 

 

The governor and legislature seek common sense changes cap the “good time” behavioral credits for violent felonies from a staggering 17 days for every 7 days served to a maximum of 15% of the original sentence. The complexities of how these are calculated in different instances would now have clarity. If someone is sentenced to a long term, they will serve 85% of the term, not some calculated formulation.

 

The task force was made up of a 13-member group consisting of lawmakers, judiciary, the attorney general, district attorneys, law enforcement, public defenders, pardon and parole officials and other interest groups who met to try to find solutions to the out-of-control crime running rampant in the streets of Louisiana.

 

In Gov. Landry’s speech to the joint session of the legislature to open the crime special session, Gov. Landry gave a heartfelt speech putting emphasis on the victims of violent crimes that are taking their toll on people across our great state. In attendance at the speech were a few of the survivors and families of the victims who were ignored by former Governor John Bel Edwards and his myrmidons who instituted some of the nonsense criminal “justice” reforms that have cause these violent crime numbers to skyrocket.

 

From Gov. Landry’s speech, the entirety of which begins at timecode 41:00…

 

Today I invite you to meet some of the faces of the crime statistics in Louisiana. 

 

Faces like, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Guzzardo, who are here today on behalf of their daughter Stephanie.  In 1995, Stephanie was murdered along with her co-worker at Calendar’s Restaurant in Baton Rouge. Stephanie pleaded for her life as Todd Wessinger pulled the trigger, robbing the Guzzardo’s of their beautiful daughter’s life.  They have lived with the pain each day since, with a promise of justice that goes unanswered.  

 

Wessinger has been on death row for the double homicide of Guzzardo and David Breakwell for over 25 years. Gov. Landry’s intent is to reinstitute carrying out the lawful, legal duty of the state to carry out the death penalty sentence.

 

Ask Dr. Patrick Dennis, who is here today and who testified before the Legislature last year about being held at gunpoint by a juvenile, never notified of the trial date, only to learn later that the gunman was released.  This same juvenile held 14 other victims at gunpoint within a three-day period. 

 

Ask Elisabeth and Noah Hansard who are here today. Elisabeth also appeared before the Legislature last year, because her son, Noah, was robbed and shot in New Orleans by a juvenile. He is now confined to a wheelchair.  Elisabeth and Noah have no way to access information about their case in juvenile court and still have no idea if the shooter had a previous criminal record. 

 

Ask Mrs. Sherilyn Price, who is also here with us today and who also testified before you about how she was misled about the murder of her son, the popular comedian Boogie B.  Boogie B was struck by a stray bullet in a grocery store parking lot when he was in town visiting his family for Christmas.  His mom was never informed of when the perpetrator was arrested nor that a bond hearing was set.    

 

Jania and Jaylan Blount join us today.  Their mother, Cassandra, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in the parking lot outside of her apartment complex.  The perpetrator fled the scene to Tennessee and shot a police officer there.  At the time he murdered Cassandra, he had been arrested over 25 times and was on probation.

 

Gov. Landry and those men and women in our legislature who are fighting for the victims of violent and felony crime, with the full support of the Louisiana Freedom Caucus, are to be commended for this effort. They are fighting on the side of those innocent victims subjected to barbarous violent behavior. The legislature and governor are standing strong against the revolting onslaught.