Civil Court Judge refuses to reverse ruling in Nagin e-mail case
by Frank Donze - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Civil District Court Judge Rose Ledet rejected City Hall's request Friday to reverse her earlier ruling that found New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in violation of state public records laws and the mayor personally liable for thousands of dollars in penalties to WWL-TV.

Ledet, however, did grant the administration a major concession, reversing her previous order that City Attorney Penya Moses-Fields also bears personal responsibility for the cash award to WWL, which is seeking copies of the mayor's 2008 e-mails and his appointment calendar through a public-records request.

The judge acknowledged she erred after a top aide to Moses-Fields made a persuasive argument that the city attorney was not the custodian of the records sought by WWL.

In a statement late Friday, the city attorney's office said it will ask the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal to review those parts of Ledet's order that still apply. Moses-Fields sat through the 90-minute hearing and occasionally consulted with the four staff attorneys who attended, but she did not address the judge.