NOTED NEW ORLEANS ARCHITECT ARRESTED

On behalf of Craig E. Gibbs, Attorney at Law posted in criminal defense on Wednesday, March 22, 2017.

A New Orleans architect known for his work on buildings and projects around the city, including the international airport, the French Quarter and a part of the Aquarium of the Americas, has been arrested on several different charges relating to an alleged dispute with his ex-girlfriend. The architect’s current wife was also arrest on similar charges. The architect has no known criminal history.

The allegations, which include charges under Louisiana’s relatively new “revenge porn” law, boil down to a claim that the architect and his wife distributed compromising pictures of the ex-girlfriend without the ex-girlfriend’s consent. The claim is that the architect gave the photos to his wife, who then circulated them to a couple of the ex-girlfriend and wife’s mutual acquaintances. The couple is also accused of impersonating the ex-girlfriend through online social media.

Although the couple has been arrested, neither has been formally charged, as the local district attorney has yet to decide whether to pursue this case or, rather, treat it as a civil matter that is not the proper subject of law enforcement.

The architect’s lawyer has urged the district attorney’s office to do the latter, saying the pictures at issue were consensual and calling the charges meritless. The architect’s current wife claims the ex-girlfriend is still angry that her relationship with the architect did not work out. Both are scheduled to appear before a judge in May to find out whether the prosecutor will continue with this case.

Breakups of any sort are rarely nice, peaceful affairs and, in all too many cases, what is ultimately a case of two people not getting along and instead being unkind becomes a criminal affair. In such cases, a strong criminal defense is often necessary in order to protect a person’s freedom, reputation and livelihood.

Source: The Times-Picayne, “New Orleans architect Gerald Biles and wife facing ‘revenge porn’ allegations,” Ken Daley, March 17, 2017.

Tags: Criminal Defense

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