After dissecting the conversation Thursday between Third Judicial (Lincoln, Union Parishes) District Attorney John F. K. Belton and Greene family attorney Lee Merritt – as reported by The (Baton Rouge) Advocate – we note this comment:
The prosecutor said his office had only recently received the complete investigative file from State Police, and was going over the evidence with the intent of presenting it to a state grand jury, Merritt said.
Wait a minute. Didn’t the Louisiana State Police claim last Friday that Belton received the file in August, 2019, and that a couple of weeks later said nothing further was needed?
08/20/19 – CID-Monroe submits case to the Lincoln Parish DA
09/09/19 – CID-Monroe follows up with DA, nothing further needed
The next day, The Advocate drops this tidbit:
Belton called East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore for advice soon after Greene’s death, Moore said.
So Louisiana Taxpayers pay Belton over $200 thousand/year (2019 audit, pg 48), and who is granted full constitutional authority of “original jurisdiction” in all criminal matters, and he has to seek advice from another DA?
Eleven days ago, Belton said:
“Ethically, I am prevented from making any extrajudicial comments while this matter is under investigation.”
But Friday, he’s merrily blabbing away to the local daily:
“I indicated to them I’m going to wait on the independent investigation to be completed by the (federal) Department of Justice and additional evidence before I consider presenting anything to a grand jury,” Belton said Friday.
Today, The Shreveport Times’ Prentiss Smith said it thus:
“The question still remains, what did District Attorney John Belton know, and when did he know it? And if he did know about it, why didn’t he do something about it, and if he didn’t know about it, why didn’t he know about it, as the highest law-enforcement officer in the parish? This is his jurisdiction, and he should be doing everything he can to get to the truth.”
One last thing. How come the Louisiana State Police gets to investigate itself? Fiscal audits of all Louisiana governmental entities are conducted by independent financial professionals. And those are for mere money.
Shouldn’t investigations of potential criminal wrongdoing be done by an agency other than those suspected of the wrongdoing?
Lincoln Parish News Online 
05/30/2021 at 7:25 pm |
Lots of food for thought here. But Prentiss Smith missed one little detail. According to the Louisiana Constitution, the Sheriff is the highest law enforcement official of a parish. The district attorney has not authority over the sheriff and vice versa.
05/31/2021 at 8:52 am |
So which agency has the ability and authority to prosecute or not to prosecute, to present evidence and seek indictments before a grand jury and notify Sheriff if there is not enough evidence to prosecute a case. Where as the sheriff might be the chief law enforcement officer he is not the highest law enforcement officer of the parish practically speaking.
06/01/2021 at 12:26 pm |
I bet the LPPJ is glad this story is taking the spotlight off them. Can’t wait for the next meeting to see what they’ve screwed up next.