Louisiana

Indigent Defense Assistance Board

Minutes of the Board Meeting

October 25 2000

New Orleans, Louisiana

Stone Pigman Law Firm

Members Present: Risley C. Triche, Chair; Thomas A. Casey, Vice-Chair; Michelle Ghetti; Addison K. Goff; IV; Wayne Lee; Robert P. McLeod; Donald T.W. Phelps; and Freddie Pitcher.

Ex Officio Members Present: James E. Boren, Anthony Champagne and Henry Walker.

Staff Present: Jelpi P. Picou, Jr.

Guests Present: Numa Bertel, Harry Boyer, Sam Dalton, Frank DeSalvo, John Di Giulio, Dwight Doskey, Tilden Greenbaum, John Holdridge, Denise LeBoeuf, Bill Rittenberg; Rick Teissier; Nick Trenticosta, and Laurie White.

Call to Order and Opening Remarks. The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. by the Chair, who welcomed members to the meeting of the Indigent Defense Assistance Board; a roll call demonstrated that a quorum was present.

Executive Session. A request was made for the Board to proceed in an Executive Session for the purpose of interviewing candidates for Director of the post-conviction unit. A unanimous vote approved the request.

Resumption of Regular Meeting. When the regular meeting reconvened, a unanimous vote of board members named Denise LeBouef director. Ms. LeBoeuf accepted the position at an annual salary of $70,000 and an annual budget of $700,000. She agreed to finish her tenure at the Center for Equal Justice in a timely fashion and begin work as Director of the post-conviction unit as soon as possible, in the hopes of having the unit organized and running shortly after the first of the coming year. The board thanked the other applicants for their interest in the position.

Contract Review: The board then discussed the post-conviction unit contract. Ms. Le Bouef will handle the details of non-profit incorporation and staff hiring. A board will administer the business of the post-conviction unit.

Michelle Ghetti, Thomas A. Casey and Addison K. Goff, IV were appointed to present a report for outlining positions of the OIDP and the Orleans Parish Capital Conflict Panel contract with suggestions for resolution of problems.

Budget Review. Staff presented the board with year-to-date expenditures.

Other Business. Jelpi P. Picou, Jr., Director, announced that he will leave the employ of the LIDAB at the end of the year. He thanked the board for the time he had spent with them. The Chair announced a search committee of Anthony Champagne, Wayne Lee, and Robert P. McLeod to screen applicants for board consideration at its next meeting.

Adjournment. There being no additional business brought to the attention of the Board, the Chair entertained a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and passed without objection.