CourtsThursday, October 29
LaMont Cole's lawyers filed two motions Wednesday to toss the new indictment against him
The Daily Baton Rouge team
Lawyers for East Baton Rouge Parish schools Superintendent LaMont Cole filed two motions Wednesday to toss the new indictment in the attorney general's bribery case. The Advocate reports the new version, issued Oct. 14 according to WBRZ, cut his charges from five to three. A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said the change was to “clarify the indictment for the jury.”
The new indictment cut Cole's five counts to three
| August indictment | Measure | Oct. 14 indictment |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Conspiracy to commit public bribery | 1 |
| 2 | Money laundering | 1 |
| 1 | Malfeasance in office | 1 |
Sources: WBRZ, The Advocate
One motion says only Assistant Attorney General John Luke Walker signed it, not District Attorney Hillar Moore, who has said in the past that the signature wasn't legally necessary. The other says the new indictment “does not carry forward any of the allegations from the original indictment.”
- Defense lawyers: Lewis Unglesby, Steve Irving and Joel Porter
- Co-defendants: Terral Jackson and Erica Jackson
- Not mentioned now: the alleged $40,000 in cash and gifts
- Contract payments listed: $22,500 to $75,000
Sources: WBRZ, WAFB, The Advocate