Skip to content
ProPublica Donate
ProPublica Donate
Criminal Justice

Mayor, Judge and Jury

Louisiana’s Mayor’s Courts

If you break the law in many small towns in Louisiana, the mayor could be your judge. The arrangement is ripe for conflict of interest.

Impact of Our Reporting
Caret

Mayor, Judge and Jury

Mayors Are Presiding Over Their Town Courts Despite Guidance Saying They Shouldn’t. A Lawmaker Calls for Reform.

We found more than a dozen places in Louisiana where the mayor sat on the bench of a court that pulled in a sizable share of the town’s revenue. The state says this arrangement could be unfair to defendants.

by Samantha Sunne, Dannah Sauer and Lee Zurik, WVUE-TV,

Local Reporting Network

2 stories published since 2023

The Louisiana Town Where a Traffic Stop Can Lead to One Charge After Another

by Lee Zurik, Samantha Sunne and Dannah Sauer, WVUE-TV, data analysis by Joel Jacobs, ProPublica,

This Louisiana Town Runs Largely on Traffic Fines. If You Fight Your Ticket, the Mayor Is Your Judge.

by Samantha Sunne, Dannah Sauer and Lee Zurik, WVUE-TV,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo of Andy Kroll
Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

We’re trying something new. Was it helpful?

Most Read

    Trump Administration Moves to Block the U.S. Travel of Mexican Politicians Who It Says Are Linked to the Drug Trade

    The list of Mexicans who could be targeted for U.S. visa restrictions includes leaders of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party, state governors and former Cabinet ministers.

    by Tim Golden,

    The Trump Administration Leaned on African Countries. The Goal: Get Business for Elon Musk.

    The State Department has intervened on behalf of Musk’s satellite internet company in five developing nations. In Gambia, U.S. diplomats have lobbied and browbeat at least seven government ministers as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.

    by Joshua Kaplan, Brett Murphy, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski,

    U.S. AG Pam Bondi Sold More than $1 Million in Trump Media Stock the Day Trump Announced Sweeping Tariffs

    Disclosure forms show that Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares on April 2. That day, after the market closed, Trump’s “Liberation Day” press conference sent the market tumbling.

    by Robert Faturechi and Brandon Roberts,

    On the Hook

    Connecticut Towing Companies Use Belongings Left in Cars as Leverage to Collect Fees, Drivers Say

    The Connecticut DMV allows owners to get back into towed cars to retrieve items that are essential to their health and welfare. But people have lost work equipment, car seats, important documents and priceless mementos.

    by Ginny Monk and Dave Altimari, The Connecticut Mirror,

    Local Reporting Network

    Democrats Won a North Carolina Supreme Court Seat. But They Lost Control Over the Board That Sets Election Rules.

    Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded after a monthslong legal battle. But Democrats suffered a defeat that may be more consequential: losing control of the state board that sets voting rules and adjudicates election disputes.

    by Doug Bock Clark,