As expected, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges. Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino says Cantrell was released on her own recognizance and was given a series of pre-trial conditions, including travel restrictions.
“She had to surrender her passport. She is limited in travel to the Eastern District of Louisiana,” Ciolino said.
Cantrell may, however, travel elsewhere within the U.S. with prior approval, and Ciolino does not foresee that to be a problem – at least in the four months Cantrell has left as mayor.
“This magistrate judge will liberally grant leave for her to travel outside of the district and likely even internationally, if necessary, for the mayor to continue to do her job,” Ciolino said.
Cantrell is accused of covering up a romantic relationship with a retired NOPD officer, bilking the city out of $70,000 in the process. Ciolino says if Cantrell is found guilty, she will likely do time behind bars.
“The loss numbers involved in the alleged conspiracy exceed $70,000. I would expect that she’d be looking at one to two years in jail just as a rough back-of-the-napkin approximation of her guidelines range,” Ciolino said.
