Judge gives mixed ruling on Ronald Greene charges
Two of the five law enforcement officials indicted in the 2019 fatal arrest of Ronald Greene in Union Parish saw their charges dismissed by a state district judge Monday.
A state district judge has quashed charges against two of the former Louisiana State Police troopers indicted in the death of black motorist Ronald Greene.
In rulings handed down Monday, Judge Thomas Rogers dismissed obstruction of justice charges against former Trooper Dakota DeMoss and former LSP Capt. John Peters. Those two no longer face any charges.
But the judge handed a mixed bag to the other three defendants.
Rogers upheld one charge each against LSP Lt. John Clary, of Ruston, Trooper Kory York, and Union Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Harpin. But he said he would quash the rest of the charges unless District Attorney John Belton satisfactorily corrects “defects” in the accusations in three days.
Belton was unavailable for comment Monday night.
Greene died May 10, 2019, alongside a Union Parish road after a chase that began in Ouachita Parish. His in-custody death has drawn national attention over allegations of police brutality.
Peters was in charge of the regional Troop F when Greene died. Clary was the ranking officer on the scene.
The obstruction of justice charge Rogers upheld against Clary involves Clary’s alleged failure to provide investigators with his body-worn camera video. A malfeasance in office charge alleged Clary failed to perform his lawful duty.
Prosecutors agreed in a June 23 hearing the malfeasance charge was defective; Rogers has now given them three days to correct that.
The judge acted similarly regarding two of the three malfeasance counts against Harpin but upheld one of the charges that contends Harpin, with York’s assistance, pepper sprayed Greene once Greene had been subdued.
York faced one count of negligent homicide and 10 counts of malfeasance in office. The motions to quash dealt only with the malfeasance charges.
Rogers upheld the count that alleges York, with Harpin’s assistance, pepper sprayed Greene once Greene had been subdued, but on the other counts gave prosecutors the same three days to correct defects.
