WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:05:11" NOTE recognizability:0.810 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.156 The relief came pouring out of NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:03.156 --> 00:00:05.840 Latoya Gaines in October 2018. NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:08.672 A jury had just convicted a 55 year NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:08.672 --> 00:00:11.135 old mechanic named Gerard Lamoreau of NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:11.135 --> 00:00:14.096 holding a knife to Gaines's Neck 27 NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:14.096 --> 00:00:16.623 years earlier when she was just 14 NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:16.623 --> 00:00:19.640 and forcing her to perform oral sex. NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:23.260 There is justice, and there are people NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:25.930 that needed to see that six years, NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:25.930 --> 00:00:28.095 2 mistrials, and our investigation NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:28.095 --> 00:00:30.260 of irregularities in the case. NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:32.745 Finally led to that sense of relief. NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:34.079 In December 2018, NOTE Confidence: 0.803829475272727 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:37.840 Ladmore was sentenced to 15 years in prison, NOTE Confidence: 0.881008198333333 00:00:37.890 --> 00:00:39.744 now having to register once he's NOTE Confidence: 0.881008198333333 00:00:39.744 --> 00:00:42.186 free as a sex offender and people NOTE Confidence: 0.881008198333333 00:00:42.186 --> 00:00:44.448 knowing to protect their kids and NOTE Confidence: 0.881008198333333 00:00:44.448 --> 00:00:46.817 to watch out for themselves I. NOTE Confidence: 0.881008198333333 00:00:46.817 --> 00:00:48.659 I'm willing to deal with that, NOTE Confidence: 0.735894798 00:00:48.750 --> 00:00:50.590 but last month, less than NOTE Confidence: 0.735894798 00:00:50.590 --> 00:00:52.430 four years into that sentence, NOTE Confidence: 0.735894798 00:00:52.430 --> 00:00:54.824 Gaines got a call from the Orleans NOTE Confidence: 0.735894798 00:00:54.824 --> 00:00:56.246 Parish District Attorney's office NOTE Confidence: 0.735894798 00:00:56.246 --> 00:00:58.454 telling her the whole case might NOTE Confidence: 0.735894798 00:00:58.454 --> 00:01:00.599 be thrown out on a technicality. NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:00.710 --> 00:01:02.518 Literally felt like my NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:02.518 --> 00:01:04.326 heart was falling apart. NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:04.330 --> 00:01:08.474 To hear him say that there's a strong NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:08.474 --> 00:01:12.106 possibility he could get out and not be. NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:12.110 --> 00:01:14.114 Charged with anything not have to NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:14.114 --> 00:01:16.669 register with the sex offenders registry. NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:16.670 --> 00:01:18.812 Not have to stay away from NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:18.812 --> 00:01:19.883 other people's children. NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:19.890 --> 00:01:22.482 Not, I mean it's just like like it NOTE Confidence: 0.92916810375 00:01:22.482 --> 00:01:24.718 never happened like it never happened. NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:24.770 --> 00:01:26.535 The technicality that could wipe NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:26.535 --> 00:01:29.199 away the whole case is about timing. NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:31.705 Lamoreau was arrested for aggravated NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:31.705 --> 00:01:34.215 oral sexual battery in 1991, NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:34.215 --> 00:01:37.679 but the charges were dropped in 1992. NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:37.679 --> 00:01:40.253 At that time, Louisiana law gave NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:40.253 --> 00:01:43.458 victims of child sex crimes 10 years NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:43.458 --> 00:01:46.218 after becoming adults to bring charges, NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:46.220 --> 00:01:48.338 Gaines would have to come forward NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:48.338 --> 00:01:52.924 before she turned 28 on July 24th, 2005. NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:52.924 --> 00:01:55.588 On June 29th, 2005, then, NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:55.588 --> 00:01:57.004 Governor Kathleen Blanco signed NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:57.004 --> 00:01:58.720 a change in the law, NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:01:58.720 --> 00:02:00.860 giving victims 30 years after NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:02:00.860 --> 00:02:03.000 turning 18 to come forward. NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:05.868 But the law didn't take effect NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:02:05.868 --> 00:02:08.140 until August 15th, 2005. NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:02:08.140 --> 00:02:13.102 That was 22 days after Gaines turned 2822, NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:02:13.102 --> 00:02:15.334 days after it became too late NOTE Confidence: 0.8863380425 00:02:15.334 --> 00:02:17.060 to prosecute Gerard Lamoreau NOTE Confidence: 0.780796838888889 00:02:17.310 --> 00:02:22.665 and it just helps one worm or one snake. NOTE Confidence: 0.780796838888889 00:02:22.670 --> 00:02:26.970 Slither on through. It's an unbelievable NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:27.020 --> 00:02:29.449 and yet lad, Moreau was charged in NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:32.366 2014 and 2 judges oversaw 3 trials NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:32.366 --> 00:02:35.054 in the case without any objections NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:35.132 --> 00:02:37.448 that the case was time barred. NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:37.450 --> 00:02:40.204 I'm livid, livid at her late mother, NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:40.204 --> 00:02:42.236 a crack addict who ordered her to NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:42.236 --> 00:02:44.035 drop the charges when she was 14. NOTE Confidence: 0.843960629230769 00:02:44.040 --> 00:02:45.708 According to court records, NOTE Confidence: 0.764611064 00:02:45.820 --> 00:02:47.680 you could have stopped this. NOTE Confidence: 0.764611064 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:51.590 Long time ago. He would have been NOTE Confidence: 0.764611064 00:02:51.590 --> 00:02:53.450 incarcerated if she just did what NOTE Confidence: 0.764611064 00:02:53.516 --> 00:02:55.900 she was supposed to do. Then livid NOTE Confidence: 0.902541524 00:02:55.910 --> 00:02:58.090 at former District Attorney Harry NOTE Confidence: 0.902541524 00:02:58.090 --> 00:02:59.788 Connick's office for letting her drop NOTE Confidence: 0.902541524 00:02:59.788 --> 00:03:01.670 the charges and not pursuing them. NOTE Confidence: 0.902541524 00:03:01.670 --> 00:03:02.994 Based on the evidence NOTE Confidence: 0.902541524 00:03:02.994 --> 00:03:04.318 collected by the police, NOTE Confidence: 0.79168733 00:03:04.470 --> 00:03:07.564 there shouldn't have been nothing that my NOTE Confidence: 0.79168733 00:03:07.564 --> 00:03:10.680 mother could do to drop those charges. NOTE Confidence: 0.79168733 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:13.074 He was supposed to pursue those charges NOTE Confidence: 0.553645111428571 00:03:13.140 --> 00:03:16.220 with it too. At former DA Leon NOTE Confidence: 0.553645111428571 00:03:16.220 --> 00:03:17.690 Cannizzaro's office for not realizing NOTE Confidence: 0.553645111428571 00:03:17.690 --> 00:03:19.740 it was too late to prosecute. NOTE Confidence: 0.553645111428571 00:03:19.740 --> 00:03:22.106 When she came to them in 2012, NOTE Confidence: 0.636384872 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:24.400 used to have the answers, NOTE Confidence: 0.636384872 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:26.164 and I'm not looking for the justice NOTE Confidence: 0.636384872 00:03:26.164 --> 00:03:28.615 system to say, oh, we failed. NOTE Confidence: 0.636384872 00:03:28.615 --> 00:03:31.440 We we overlooked a date. NOTE Confidence: 0.636384872 00:03:31.440 --> 00:03:34.590 But we're sorry, sorry doesn't fit NOTE Confidence: 0.769283846 00:03:34.660 --> 00:03:37.628 and livid at the state of Louisiana NOTE Confidence: 0.769283846 00:03:37.628 --> 00:03:39.920 for taking until 2005 to realize NOTE Confidence: 0.769283846 00:03:39.920 --> 00:03:41.960 that victims of child sex crimes NOTE Confidence: 0.769283846 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:44.445 often need more than 10 years of NOTE Confidence: 0.769283846 00:03:44.445 --> 00:03:46.307 adulthood before long buried memories NOTE Confidence: 0.769283846 00:03:46.307 --> 00:03:48.737 are triggered and they come forward. NOTE Confidence: 0.568293824 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:51.720 The state of Louisiana failed, NOTE Confidence: 0.568293824 00:03:51.720 --> 00:03:54.870 not only me, they failed. A lot of people NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:03:55.650 --> 00:03:57.744 could argue the same thing he NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:03:57.744 --> 00:04:00.100 faced 2 mistrials and a conviction. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:00.100 --> 00:04:02.964 He's been in prison for almost four years. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:02.970 --> 00:04:04.770 Now he's arguing that his defense NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:04.770 --> 00:04:06.410 attorney at all three trials, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:06.410 --> 00:04:08.966 David Bellfield and his appellate attorney, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:08.970 --> 00:04:10.510 the late Martin Regan, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:10.510 --> 00:04:12.820 were ineffective for failing to argue. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:12.820 --> 00:04:14.926 The case should be time barred. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:14.930 --> 00:04:16.605 Bellfield told us he's not NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:16.605 --> 00:04:18.530 perfect and may have missed it, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:18.530 --> 00:04:20.010 but so did everyone else, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:20.010 --> 00:04:22.185 including judge Glory White who NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:22.185 --> 00:04:24.819 presided over mistrials in 2015 and NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:24.819 --> 00:04:27.129 2016 and former judge Keva Landrum. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:27.130 --> 00:04:29.804 Johnson, who was on the bench when NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:29.804 --> 00:04:31.550 Vladimiro was convicted in 2018, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:31.550 --> 00:04:32.696 Bellfield said, quote. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:32.696 --> 00:04:34.606 We argue about the law. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:34.610 --> 00:04:36.190 We argue about the facts, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:36.190 --> 00:04:37.324 but at the end of the day, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:37.330 --> 00:04:39.145 it's the responsibility of the NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:39.145 --> 00:04:41.290 judge to apply the proper law. NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:41.290 --> 00:04:43.970 It appears that didn't happen in this case, NOTE Confidence: 0.813032703333333 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:46.856 leaving everyone angry on all sides. NOTE Confidence: 0.70162074 00:04:47.070 --> 00:04:48.298 I wanted the justice NOTE Confidence: 0.933458656 00:04:48.310 --> 00:04:50.460 system to deal with him, and now NOTE Confidence: 0.9341006575 00:04:50.470 --> 00:04:52.290 that the justice system has failed. NOTE Confidence: 0.885379895 00:04:53.020 --> 00:04:54.358 I'll let God deal with you. NOTE Confidence: 0.621696235 00:04:56.410 --> 00:04:58.229 Now the DA's office declined NOTE Confidence: 0.621696235 00:04:58.229 --> 00:05:00.227 to comment on a pending case, NOTE Confidence: 0.784214492 00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:02.050 and so did Admiral's appeal. NOTE Confidence: 0.784214492 00:05:02.050 --> 00:05:04.246 Attorneys at the Reagan law firm. NOTE Confidence: 0.784214492 00:05:04.250 --> 00:05:07.589 But the two sides will get to argue the NOTE Confidence: 0.784214492 00:05:07.589 --> 00:05:10.994 case tomorrow in front of a third judge.