Informer: Langley petition pending before high court
Last Modified: Friday, August 17, 2012 7:21 PM
By Andrew Perzo / American Press
Whatever happened to the Langley case — the young man who killed the little boy in Iowa several years ago?
Ricky Joseph Langley, convicted of second-degree murder in 2009, is serving a life sentence at Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel.
The state’s 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal last year upheld his conviction, and the Louisiana Supreme Court in January refused to consider his latest appeal.
In the 20 years since he strangled 6-year-old Jeremy Guillory of Iowa, Langley, 46, has been tried three times — twice by jury and once by judge.
He was first tried in 1994, when he was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death for killing Guillory two years earlier. The conviction was thrown out after Langley raised issues over the way the grand jury foreman was selected.
He was tried next in 2003 and was convicted of second-degree murder. But that conviction was overturned because the trial judge was out of the courtroom at times during the proceedings.
For his third trial, Langley waived his right to a jury trial and left the decision to the judge, who found him guilty.
According to the U.S. Supreme Court clerk’s office, Langley has petitioned the high court to hear his case. His chances, like those of most petitioners, are slim. The court takes on only 100 or so of the 10,000-plus cases presented to it each term.
Online: www.la3circuit.org; www.lasc.org; www.supremecourt.gov.
Work on section of road set for 2013
When is the DOTD going to repair the deplorable section of I-10 in the La. 108-Exit 20 area? It is much worse than the approach to the I-10 bridge?
The state Department of Transportation and Development will redo a 0.8-mile section of Interstate 10 around La. 108 next year, said Steve Jiles, the agency’s regional administrator.
“The reconstruction of the Maple Fork bridges to the east of La. 108 are included in the scope of this project,” Jiles wrote in an email.
“The feasibility of widening these bridges to include a longer eastbound acceleration lane from La. 108, a longer westbound deceleration lane onto La. 108, and possible auxiliary lanes in both directions of I-10 between La. 108 and I-210 is currently being evaluated.”
He said officials will work up final plans once they resolve the bridge width issues.
Online: www.dotd.state.la.us.
Islands not claimed by United States
Is it true that President Obama is giving several Alaskan islands to the Russians by executive order so they can drill for oil there?
No.
“None of the islands ... were included in the U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, and they have never been claimed by the United States, although Americans were involved in the discovery and exploration of some of them,” read the U.S. State Department’s website.
The islands — Wrangel, Herald, Bennett, Jeannette Island, Henrietta and Copper — all lie much closer to Russia than to Alaska.
Online: www.state.gov.
The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com
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