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News & Announcements: 2019-11

Check this page, or the News and Announcements box on the homepage, for the latest official news and announcements released by the court. You can also access archived news and announcements from this page.

November 27, 2019
From September 8 – 12, 2019, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana hosted a delegation of criminal court judges from the Republic of Georgia.  The purpose of the delegation’s visit was to observe criminal proceedings and engage in discussions to gain insight into the innerworkings of the United States’ criminal justice system.  Visiting judges included Lela Nozadze, Ketevan Jatchvadze, Nino Tarashvili, and Levan Darbaidze.  The delegation was accompanied by United States Embassy staff members, Judicial Resident Legal Advisor Kevin Burke, Staff Attorney Ekaterine Popkhadze, and Interpreter Maia Zaridze.  Highlights of the delegation’s visit included meeting with Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon, Federal 5th Circuit Appellate Judge Stephen Higginson, Federal Public Defender Claude Kelly, First Assistant United States Attorney Michael Simpson, United States Probation Officer Veronica Ramirez, United States Marshal Scott Illing, Judicial Security Inspector Andrew Conklin, and District Judge Case Manager Supervisor James Crull.  In addition, the delegation observed criminal proceedings presided over by Chief U.S. District Judge Brown as well as U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry, U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld, and Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Franz Zibilich.  
November 25, 2019
On October 17, 2019, 35 individuals were naturalized as new United States citizens at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Honorable Greg G. Guidry, District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, presided over the ceremony. The naturalization candidates originated from countries around the world, including Vietnam, Ecuador, Russia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, Honduras, Ukraine, Colombia, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Yemen, Lebanon, Haiti, and Canada. After the candidates individually announced their names and countries of origin, they took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. The new citizens then received certificates of naturalization and posed for pictures with Judge Guidry. Following the ceremony, citizens were invited to complete voter registration applications by the New Orleans Chapter of the League of Women Voters. Please select this link to access ceremony photographs.