The Jackson Parish Police Jury (JPPJ) last night took no action on Second Judicial (Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson parishes) District Attorney Jonathan Stewart’s demand for additional funding for his office.
Stewart said he wasn’t asking for an increase in his budget, but rather a one-time $50 thousand appropriation to make up for a shortfall from the criminal court fund.
He claimed to be a good steward of public money.
Said Stewart, “We have actually fewer employees in our Jonesboro office, and overall, than we had when we took office.”
Stewart went on to explain how the criminal court fund mechanism works, and said that estimates indicated the fund would bring in about $100 thousand less than that projected for the 2012 budget year.
Last February, Stewart appeared before the jury’s finance committee with dire warnings of impending financial calamity and then proceeded to threaten the jury with a lawsuit if they did not meet his demands. Of the three parishes in the 2nd judicial district, only Bienville parish has agreed to the payment.
Jury President Todd Culpepper (Ward 1) noted that when the police jury in late 2011 made up budgets for 2012, the DA’s office made no requests at that time for additional 2012 monies. Stewart said that the criminal court funds shortfall occurred late last year and early this year, after budgets had been submitted.
Culpepper also said that several parish boards had not been provided legal counsel by the DA’s office, as is required by law. Stewart said a retirement last year left his Jackson Parish office short-staffed.
Stewart also addressed earlier public comments regarding the ongoing governmental crisis in the Town of Jonesboro, and his steadfast refusals to prosecute alleged wrongdoing by the town’s controversial mayor Leslie Thompson.
However, he said he would not respond point-by-point to the questions brought up during the comments.
Said Stewart, “I feel sorry for the citizens of Jonesboro, especially the 25 to 30% who actually voted in the last municipal elections. It would be easy for me to say that the 70% or so that didn’t vote deserve the government that they’ve got, but that in fact is not true.”
Stewart said that despite the lengthy investigations of Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA), he claimed to find no criminal activity regarding the town’s finances.
Said Stewart, “To this date, based on the evidence that we had, we have not found criminal charges to be warranted.”
Thompson and Stewart have been political bedfellows ever since Stewart’s election in 2008, where Thompson was paid $11 thousand by Stewart for “consulting” and “canvassing.”
See our report from June, 2010 – District Att’y, J’boro Mayor Politically Connected
During the public comments part of the meeting, several area citizens railed against Stewart for his alleged failure to do his job.
Former Jonesboro Alderman Randy Layfield said that several years ago he another alderman specifically pointed out malfeasance in the town’s operation in a meeting with Stewart.
Said Layfield, “I showed him where line items and departments as a whole had been overspent. I asked him ‘Isn’t that malfeasance?’ He said ‘absolutely!” We’ve got it on tape if you want to hear that.”
District B Alderwoman Renee Stringer echoed Layfield’s comments. She said that the town is in “shambles” because Stewart didn’t do his job early on.
Said Stringer, “This could have been handled at the first non-compliance audit. But nothing’s ever been addressed.” Added Stringer, “I know that you (the police jury) have to go within the guidelines of the law, because y’all tend to follow the law… Whereas the Town of Jonesboro doesn’t have to follow the law.”
At the end of the meeting during the juror comments, Ward 6 Juror Chuck Garrett said he felt somewhat threatened by Stewart’s insistence that the jury was obliged make up shortfalls in the DA’s office budget.
Said Garrett, “I don’t work off threats, I never have.”
In other business, the jury – acting as the property tax Board of Review – denied an appeal of 2012 ad valorem taxes by Jackson Pines Subdivision. The subdivision is owned by the Greater North Louisiana Community Development Corporation (GNLCDC).
09/11/2012 at 1:09 pm |
Bring out the Tape Layfield take it to the news station. See somebody lying and the people want the truth. Don’t keep the people in the dark Renee, this mess needs to stop.
09/11/2012 at 1:25 pm |
Wonder why our court is not bringing in money, maybe he’s making too many plea deals, or not prosecuting the cases brought to him or maybe not seizing drug dealers assets There has got to be an explanation. Show us some numbers for each parish Mr. DA inquiring minds want to know. Show us your payroll for each parish and how many employee in each parish. Our police jury was elected to speak for the taxpayers and they are doing their job.
09/11/2012 at 3:19 pm |
The ones that need to be felt sorry for is the citizens of Jonesboro, not the DA’s office. Jonesboro has received yet another bill that they can’t pay. On channel 10 website the FA has presented Jonesboro with a bill of $30,000.00. I say he needs to take it from Leslie’s salary, since he stole it from the citizens.
09/11/2012 at 4:28 pm |
he needs to suck it up ,tighten his budget like everyone else has during these tough times
09/11/2012 at 5:20 pm |
Dipstick Attorney Stewart has the authority (I believe) to move temporarily an assistant DA from one part of his territory to a place in need of one, like Jonesboro. At least one would think that would be an inexpensive solution to the problem of someone retiring and leaving the Jonesboro office short-handed. Another concern of mine is the statement that he has steadfastly refused to prosecute any of the charges of wrong doing in Jonesboro. What does he think he is in office for? I am not familiar with his association with the CTIC but methinks perhaps there may be a little conspiring going on and that diffinitely is a wrong doing that can be prosecuted by someone other than Stewart. Look outside the box, folks.
09/11/2012 at 5:58 pm |
Where else is there to look? The attorney general has even been contacted about Jonesboro! Everyone is scared of Jonesboro for some reason.
09/11/2012 at 8:09 pm |
Are there any indications of civil rights abuse (doesn’t have to be against a black, just against anyone’s civil rights) there in Jonesboro. If so, doesn’t that mean a trip to Federal Court would be a worthwhile adventure and it wouldn’t be like following a judicial path in Louisiana where you have to tip-toe through the tulips in the barnyard, if you know what I mean. Find a federal path to follow.
09/11/2012 at 6:05 pm |
Did not DA Stewart tell the media LAST YEAR that he was going to convene a grand jury in November 2011? His comment that he makes to jury alludes me to say he knows of wrong doings with the TOJ finances.
09/11/2012 at 8:00 pm |
Well, Stewart, let me just say this about your time as the da. BaaaaHaaaaaaaaa! As far as I am concerned the letters da have nothing to do with the words District Attorney as far as you are concerned. I didn’t realize the position you held on the USS Thompson until the meeting last night. As Captian of the ship how did it feel to make an utter fool of yourself last night? Not only did you insult the court system in the State of Louisiana but you told 70% of the voting citizens in Jonesboro that they got what they deserved. What part of the fact that Thompsons conviction and the state taking away his rights as mayor did you not get? Do you really, in your wildest imagination, ever think for one moment you will ever hold public office again? Sooner or later the only people you will appear before is the Bar Association to explain why you, as a representative of the people of Jonesboro, did not do your duty. Oh, you don’t think that we will not send letters and file complaints against you with the Bar Association! Think again. Thompson had one of his family members dare us and he is now finding out the power of the written word. We not only wrote letters but we called and emailed their offices continuously until they had no choice but but to listen.
I have been on line for over 2 years and so have Sunshine, Anon 1 and others. Hi, guys , how are y’all. Take up my slack and tell them how it was. Tell them what they have missed and how hard it was to get anybody to listen. What happened to Karen?
09/16/2012 at 2:10 pm |
Albymyself: Good to hear from you. Anon1 and I, as well as others, are alive and well.
You are absolutely correct that we have been blogging for a very long time. Never in our wildest dreams would we have ever fathomed this taking so long to come to fruition. We will NEVER wane.
We (bloggers) have been driven by the fact and evidence shows that many of the problems at City Hall have been caused by a network of individuals whom do not have Jonesboro’s interest at heart. It is purely selfish on their part. It has been shown that there is a common “link” of a few people bringing Jonesboro to the brink of woe. But, we have all heard the old cliche, “What goes around, comes around.”
The PLAYERS have been identified, EVIDENCE has been uncovered, and THEY will NOT get away with the mess THEY have CREATED.
May take a little longer, but we will not give up. The end should be near.
09/11/2012 at 9:38 pm |
Of course he can’t say the 70% that didn’t vote deserve the government they got. He’s among the worst in the government that got elected! If the Jackson Parish people would have just voted, we’d have a great man as the DA instead of the worthless Jonathan Stewart.
09/11/2012 at 9:41 pm |
Play the Tape, show the world what’s going on
09/11/2012 at 11:59 pm |
the world knows what’s going on, it’s been going on for years, no one has the courage to do anything about it for fear of losing a vote. Look around, the evidence is everywhere.
Everyone has an excuse, as long as they can convince themselves that they are just doing the right thing, then it will continue, selective conscience, it helps them sleep at night, when they can, go ask a certain little seven year old girl what she thinks about the choices that have been made lately, I bet she wouldn’t agree. While you are busy asking questions, go ask some other young ladies about 17 days that someone spent in jail compared to what they lost and when you finish on that topic, go ask all the people that have to live in pure hell every day because they are subjected to the dregs of society that have been allowed to run free, while they have to remain behind locked doors like they are in prison. Yes it’s been going on for years.
09/12/2012 at 7:10 am |
I just want to command the jury for not giving into Stewarts threats. Maybe if we are lucky, someone will investigate his department for not following the budget laws! This nightmare in Jonesboro needs to wake up.
09/12/2012 at 8:05 am |
You can forget the Attorney General, he is all about a block of votes, he could have already stepped in, he refuses, the d.a. uses the excuse that the Attorney General could have already come in, but since he *Caldwell found no evidence of wrong either, that all was well in la la land. They both are a disgrace to their respecitve profession and most of all a disgrace to the State of Louisiana, and all taxpayers.
09/12/2012 at 9:05 am |
Maybe the DA can get a credit card to use since he is short of da money for his office….
09/12/2012 at 8:30 pm |
An interesting comment by the DA about the Town of Jonesboro government: “It would be easy for me to say that the 70% or so that didn’t vote deserve the government that they’ve got, but that in fact is not true.”
Sounds like he has the same opinion of the Thompson administration and council as most of those who comment on this website do, but I question his mathematics. i believe the records will show that the actual percentage of those voting for mayor and council in 2010 was nearer 40% than it was “25 to 30%”, although that figure may be correct for one of the Jonesboro boxes. Granted, that is not near enough, but no use making it worse than it was.