WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Vehicular homicide trial causes division in small city
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Victoria Gosserand (Source: Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office)NEW ROADS, LA (WAFB) - A high-profile vehicular homicide trial in Pointe Coupee Parish has left the quiet city of New Roads divided because many of the residents know someone involved with the deadly crash.
Most of those willing to comment on the situation seemed to question the wheels of justice, after two judges removed themselves from the case because of potential conflicts of interest.
"Oh, it is a big story for Pointe Coupee Parish and it's not over yet, so we're just waiting to see how it goes down," said Mary Catherine LaCour, the co-publisher of the Pointe Coupee Banner newspaper. "I don't believe it's dividing the community," said Brent Roy, another co-publisher. "It's more or less something that happens and it's unfortunate it happened for both families."
Roosevelt Gremillion was born in Pointe Coupee Parish. He said the boundaries of New Roads are the boundaries of his entire world.
"It really has affected us quite a bit," Gremillion said. "As the owner of the radio station at a local level, we've gotten a lot of calls and people wanting to know what is the next thing. What's going to happen?"
The judge presiding over the trial is scheduled to rule Thursday morning on a request by the defense to have the district attorney's office recuse itself from the case.
Judge Alvin Batiste will decide whether or not District Attorney Ricky Ward's office is allowed to prosecute the Victoria Gosserand case. Gosserand's attorney, Lewis Unglesby, wants the district attorney's office in Pointe Coupee Parish removed from the case because of a conflict of interest.
After announcing his 9 a.m. ruling, Batiste is expected to hear testimony from a New Roads police officer who witnessed the crash. The witness must testify early because he is scheduled for deployment to Iraq.
Gosserand is charged with vehicular homicide in the death Terri Parker, 23, two days before Christmas.
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