WWL Radio tweets homophobic slur about WWL sports reporter Seth Dunlap (3 Viewers)

NOPD sought an arrest warrant for Seth Dunlap on the crime of Extortion.

The Judge DENIED the warrant, citing that while the NOPD believed they had compelling evidence, the Judge did not believe it amounted to Extortion. NOPD can go back and seek a different charge, or come back with more evidence.


From the sound of it, they know he sent the tweet. The judge just didn't believe it to be Extortion.

Interesting as i look to the definition of "extortion" in Louisiana, it says nothing of "harming reputation" as it does for other states.

So maybe there is a gray area here.
 
NOPD sought an arrest warrant for Seth Dunlap on the crime of Extortion.

The Judge DENIED the warrant, citing that while the NOPD believed they had compelling evidence, the Judge did not believe it amounted to Extortion. NOPD can go back and seek a different charge, or come back with more evidence.


From the sound of it, they know he sent the tweet. The judge just didn't believe it to be Extortion.

Can you link the source of this information?
 
Here's the statute in question:


I can understand where the Judge is coming from with his denial. It seems the law states that extortion is committed with the purpose of gaining something of value by use of force or threat of any type of harm. Assuming Seth tried to seek a legal payoff based off the alleged tweet that he sent, if he didn't threaten WWL in the process of seeking a payment (basically saying "give me money, or else x will happen...), then I don't think extortion applies here. At least, that's my interpretation of it.
 
Every demand fits a broad definition of extortion.

I wonder if he himself made a demand or if he did it, solely, through his lawyer.
 
Every demand fits a broad definition of extortion.

I wonder if he himself made a demand or if he did it, solely, through his lawyer.

The demand does, but what about the threat?

I think generally speaking, threat of litigation doesn't usually qualify as extortion. But the threats here may have been more complex than that.
 
The demand does, but what about the threat?

I think generally speaking, threat of litigation doesn't usually qualify as extortion. But the threats here may have been more complex than that.

I do not know much at all about extortion, so I am just wondering if the Judge denied the warrant because the demand was made via a lawyer or perhaps the demand was phrased as "pay up or I will sue"?
 
I do not know much at all about extortion, so I am just wondering if the Judge denied the warrant because the demand was made via a lawyer or perhaps the demand was phrased as "pay up or I will sue"?

That is likely the case. Judges are VERY hesitant to use demands made in Civil proceedings as Extortion.

Likely NOPD will come back with Fraud.

The hidden detail in this is that its pretty much confirmed at this point that he sent the tweet. Its just a matter of "What crime did he commit?"
 
That is likely the case. Judges are VERY hesitant to use demands made in Civil proceedings as Extortion.

Likely NOPD will come back with Fraud.

The hidden detail in this is that its pretty much confirmed at this point that he sent the tweet. Its just a matter of "What crime did he commit?"

If he wasn’t authorized to log in to the account, isn’t it the digital version of trespass? Surely there’s a crime there.
 
Saw this from the nola app today

His lawyer had previously been civil attorney Megan Kiefer, but on Friday, after being given time to review the new court documents, she said she no longer represented him.

Dunlap, 35, said he is now represented by Billy Gibbens, a former federal prosecutor who specializes in white-collar criminal defense work. Gibbens did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

And

After the tweet, Dunlap took a leave of absence and returned his station-provided laptop. WWL Radio then had the forensic firm look at that device as well.

The firm found that Dunlap had downloaded his own Twitter account’s logs onto the laptop.

When examining those logs, which include the IP address of the device that sent the tweet, the firm found more evidence to suggest Dunlap had sent the tweet. The logs showed Dunlap had accessed his own Twitter account from the same IP address that was used to send the insulting tweet from the station's account at about the same time, according to the new documents
 
Saw this from the nola app today

His lawyer had previously been civil attorney Megan Kiefer, but on Friday, after being given time to review the new court documents, she said she no longer represented him.

Dunlap, 35, said he is now represented by Billy Gibbens, a former federal prosecutor who specializes in white-collar criminal defense work. Gibbens did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

And

After the tweet, Dunlap took a leave of absence and returned his station-provided laptop. WWL Radio then had the forensic firm look at that device as well.

The firm found that Dunlap had downloaded his own Twitter account’s logs onto the laptop.

When examining those logs, which include the IP address of the device that sent the tweet, the firm found more evidence to suggest Dunlap had sent the tweet. The logs showed Dunlap had accessed his own Twitter account from the same IP address that was used to send the insulting tweet from the station's account at about the same time, according to the new documents

He needs to just come clean because the evidence is clearly there.

 

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