A New Orleans state court judge, Kimya Holmes, has filed a police complaint against local CBS affiliate WWL after the station aired a segment scrutinising a real estate transaction involving her. According to the journalist who reported the story, David Hammer, the judge invoked a section of law that no longer carries criminal penalties.
The complaint, filed with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on 11 September, alleges that WWL revealed Judge Holmes' home address and vehicle information. This followed a 10 September letter from judicial administrator Robert Kazik, demanding WWL remove a public record showing the address of a house donated to Holmes and images of a license plate number.
WWL had temporarily removed videos containing the mentioned information on 11 September, later reposting them with the address and license plate numbers blurred. However, the station reportedly refused to disclose who photographed the vehicle.
The Louisiana legislature repealed the portions of the law cited in Kazik's letter that required news outlets to remove published information and made non-compliance a misdemeanor. These repeals took effect on 1 August, before Hammer's report on Holmes' donated house and Kazik's letter. The NOPD stated on Tuesday that its investigation into WWL is continuing.