[StBernard] Parish will appeal Berrigan's ruling

[Westley Annis]

Parish appeals ruling

St. Bernard officials on Friday continued to voice their position that the
288 apartments would weaken an already unstable real estate market. Parish
President Craig Taffaro said the parish will continue to appeal the case
with "full vigor."

Attorneys for St. Bernard filed a notice of appeal to the Fifth Circuit
Court of Appeals after the ruling came out Friday. The parish is also
appealing Berrigan's ruling in March
<http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/judge_rules_against_st_bernard.h
tml> , which ordered the parish to lift a construction ban on multifamily
apartment complexes.

"The judge has stripped the local municipality of its ability to manage and
govern the population which we are elected to represent, " Taffaro said.

Other parish officials were more pointed in their response to Berrigan's
ruling.

"Whatever Hurricane Katrina didn't destroy of St. Bernard's character, the
activist, liberal judge -- Hurricane Berrigan -- is now attempting to
destroy, " Councilman Wayne Landry said Friday.

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Thank God our parish leaders are going to fight further on this.  I would
further hope that the 5th District would grant an injunction barring
Provident Money-grubbers from any construction until the case is heard and
decided by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.  It makes no sense for them to
try to build while an appeals process is going on.

Also, if the parish needs to hire additional outside council for the case I
say go ahead and spend the money.  


I wonder if by starting an appeal, Berrigan's 10k/day fine is also put on
hold?


JY