Anonymousabout 1 hour ago
The Louisiana Senate unanimously passed an amendment to House Bill 102 that would broaden first-degree murder to cover killings in public places where three or more people face risk of great harm, killings with illegally possessed firearms, and killings by defendants on bail, probation, or parole. The legislation, introduced by Sen. Alan Seabaugh after the April 2026 Mall of Louisiana shooting that killed 17-year-old Martha Odom and injured five others, has drawn sharp criticism from capital defense attorneys who call it overly broad and warn it could bankrupt the public defense system—even as the suspect in the shooting already faces first-degree murder charges under existing law.