LAFAYETTE, La. (KATC) — Suspended Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope appeared for his sentencing hearing for felony malfeasance and perjury charges Wednesday at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse, however his sentence has been postponed yet again.
Judge David Smith moved to continue the sentencing hearing to June 19 after Pope’s attorneys Brett Grayson and John McLindon pleaded with the judge to consider their motion for acquittal of Pope’s charges, which they filed in March.
Grayson and McLindon also want more time to review the transcripts from Pope’s trial in October where a jury found him guilty on one count of perjury and three counts of malfeasance in office.
Assistant District Attorney Alan Haney objected to the motion saying that the state was ready for the sentence to be handed down today.
On Oct. 3, 2018,a jury convicted Pope on four out of the seven charges he faced. Pope was found guilty on one count of perjury and three counts of malfeasance in office, all stemming from a public records dispute with The Independent.
Pope also faces a second indictment, which accuses him of 17 felony counts of malfeasance in office. All those charges stem from garnishment-fee payments made to the marshal after the Attorney General’s office told him that he couldn’t use the money to supplement his salary; the total is more than $84,000. There is a pretrial hearing set in that case tomorrow.
Last month,he was indicted again, this time accused of two more counts malfeasance in office. In that case, the grand jury alleges he used Marshal’s Office money to book conferences, then asked for reimbursement from the city and deposited the refunds, totaling more than $3,000, into his personal bank account.
Pope also has pending charges filed against him by thestate ethics board.
To read about Pope’s issues, check out our archive page here.
