[StBernard] Council members call on Peralta to resign

[Westley Annis]

Council members call on Peralta to resign
Updated: Apr 24, 2014 6:15 PM CDT
Written by: FOX8Live.com Staff - email

NEW ORLEANS, LA (WVUE) -
Three members of the St. Bernard Parish Council are calling on the parish
president to resign.

Members Gay McInnis, Ray Lauga and Casey Hunnicutt sent the following
statement Thursday:

"The following council members signed below agree in principal that the
executive branch of St. Bernard Parish require unencumbered leadership and
focus, as well as the public trust. We feel that this is vital to a
successful governing authority. In our opinion, your recent personal and
legal issues have overtaxed your capacity to maintain the public trust and
provide fruitful and productive leadership moving St. Bernard Parish
forward. Your personal and legal issues have, and continue to have, a
negative effect and reflection on the citizens of St. Bernard Parish. We
feel your legal issues have exceeded you personally, and now impede St.
Bernard as a whole.

"We believe that it is in the best interest of St. Bernard Parish and its
governance to respectfully request your voluntary resignation of the Parish
President's office in order to deliver the most beneficial government that
the citizens of St. Bernard Parish deserve."

President David Peralta was arrested Thursday morning after a grand jury
indicted him on one count of sexual battery of his now-estranged wife.

Peralta's attorney, Steven London, said his client will not resign and that
the charge will be "hard fought."

London also said he did not expect the arrest to affect Peralta's job as
parish president, saying "This is his personal life."

Peralta is free on $20,000 bond.

The charge stems from an incident in October, when Sharon Peralta alleges
her then-husband restrained and raped her. David Peralta maintains the sex
was consensual.

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