State v. Petitto

| ^Michael Petitto, an elected Tangipahoa Parish Councilman, was indicted on December 7, 2007 with two counts of malfeasance in office, violations of Louisiana Revised Statute 14:134. He pled not guilty and waived his right to a jury trial. After a judge trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to five years at hard labor on both counts. The prison sentences were ordered to run consecutively but were suspended. For the suspended sentences, he received concurrent five year probations and was fined $5,000.00. The defendant appeals alleging four assignments of error. For the following reasons,…