New Orleans court deputy who handcuffed journalist disciplined
Herschel Green handcuffed WWL producer and lawyer for not leaving public space, but was only punished for arguing about it with administrator
TL;DR
- New Orleans sheriff's office deputy Herschel Green was disciplined for professionalism policy violations related to an argument with a judicial administrator.
- Green and another deputy had handcuffed investigative producer Danny Monteverde and station attorney Elana Beiser during the indictment of Louisiana's state attorney general.
- An internal report found deficiencies in operational planning, communication, training supervision, and media management surrounding the handcuffing incident.
- The handcuffings were condemned by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press as "outrageous".
- Green acknowledged arguing with judicial administrator Robert Kazik after Kazik questioned the handcuffing of Monteverde.
- The sheriff's office investigation determined Green's argument with Kazik violated policy, leading to an order for counseling.
- The report recommended corrective actions including written plans for high-profile proceedings, with specific guidelines for media staging, access restrictions, and detention protocols.
- The report also stated that temporary handcuffing requires a legal basis, supervisory oversight, and documentation, with de-escalation methods preferred over restraints unless safety is an immediate concern.
- This incident was one of two recent high-profile episodes involving WWL and the New Orleans criminal courthouse, following a separate complaint against another WWL reporter that was found to have no violation.