XPost: talk.politics.guns, alt.politics.liberalism, sac.politics   
   XPost: neworleans.general   
   From: democrat.negroes@do.it   
      
   An Orleans Parish judge on Tuesday tossed Mayor LaToya Cantrell's civil   
   stalking claim against Anne Breaud, a resident of the Upper Pontalba   
   building on Jackson Square who photographed the mayor in April as she dined   
   with New Orleans police Officer Jeffrey Vappie.   
      
   Civil District Judge Bernadette D'Souza granted a motion from Breaud's   
   attorney to strike Cantrell's petition for a protective order. The judge   
   also ordered Cantrell to pay Breaud's legal costs and asked her attorney,   
   Justin Schmidt, to return with an invoice.   
      
   The mayor did not appear in court on Tuesday, though she and Vappie were   
   both under subpoena to testify in the case, among others. Nor did Cantrell   
   comment after the ruling.   
      
   In an unsigned, unattributed statement made on her behalf Tuesday afternoon,   
   the mayor's office said, "The overall objective was achieved, bringing   
   needed attention to the threats and aggressive behaviors toward the Mayor."   
      
   But Breaud, who had denied the allegations, claimed victory after Tuesday's   
   hearing.   
      
   "This was never about stalking the mayor," she said. "It was about an   
   officer of the law doing something he shouldn’t. ... We should all step up   
   for each other. ... We should stick up for what's right and make people   
   accountable for what they do."   
      
   Breaud, a longtime French Quarter resident whose family has had an apartment   
   in the Upper Pontalba building for 30 years, watched from her perch on April   
   7 as the mayor shared drinks with Vappie on the balcony of restaurant   
   Tableau.   
      
   Their lunch started at around 1:30 p.m. and stretched until the evening   
   hours, it was revealed in court. At around 5:30 p.m., Breaud, 56, snapped   
   two photos of the pair sipping what appeared to be wine.   
      
   She forwarded the snapshots to the watchdog Metropolitan Crime Commission,   
   which filed the latest in a series of complaints against Vappie, a member of   
   the mayor's security detail, with the NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau.   
   Vappie, whose ex-wife has linked him with the mayor romantically--though   
   both have denied it--was pulled from Cantrell's security detail pending an   
   investigation.   
      
   Schmidt argued in court on Tuesday that Breaud "did exactly what she was   
   supposed to do" with her snapshots. "She forwarded that not to news media,   
   but to MCC...whose very mission is to handle issues like this."   
      
   Cantrell's May 10 petition for a restraining order against Breaud went   
   beyond the silent balcony encounter--and well beyond the truth, according to   
   Breaud.   
      
   Cantrell alleged that Breaud "aggressively" took photos and more than 800   
   hours of video that "has been used to attack, dehumanize, weaponize my   
   character and caused harm." But Breaud has denied providing news media with   
   any footage.   
      
   Schmidt argued that she was exercising her right to photograph public   
   figures in public places. He called Cantrell's petition a "textbook"   
   example" of an attempt to stifle public speech, "trying to quell not only   
   Ms. Breaud, but all those who dare to take a picture of the mayor in the   
   future."   
      
   The temporary restraining order that Cantrell filed kept Breaud from legally   
   being within 100 yards of the mayor, City Hall, Cantrell's home or her   
   daughter's school. Those petitions normally go before a judge within 10 days   
   to decide on a more permanent protective order, but D'Souza delayed a   
   hearing after attorney Eddie Castaing signed on to represent the mayor in   
   the case.   
      
   Castaing argued Tuesday that Breaud's photos did not fall under the category   
   of expression, as Louisiana statute defines free speech, because photos are   
   non-verbal. "There's no speech to restrict," he told the judge. The mayor's   
   attorney also said there was "nothing unlawful" about Cantrell having lunch   
   with a police officer.   
      
   D'Souza ruled in Breaud's favor regardless, rendering the mayor's petition   
   was moot.   
      
   Even so, Schmidt said he'll press for records from the city, aiming to show   
   efforts by the mayor to wield her influence against Breaud.   
      
   “Today was a great example of the importance of freedom of speech, a great   
   day for the Constitution, and a great day for the citizens of New Orleans,"   
   he said.   
      
   https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/judge-tosses-mayor-latoya-cantrells-   
   stalking-claim-orders-her-to-pay-legal-costs/article_139f705c-2d7b-11ef-   
   9664-9b33041dcfa2.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)