In New Orleans, a civil judge has lifted Mayor Latoya Cantrell’s temporary restraining order against Anne Breaud, who photographed Cantrell dining with a member of her security team. Judge Bernadette D’Souza also ruled that Cantrell must cover court costs and Breaud’s legal fees. Breaud expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating, “This was never about stalking or chasing the Mayor; she’s been my neighbor for a long time. It was about a law enforcement officer doing something I felt was inappropriate.” Cantrell had initially sought the restraining order in response to Breaud’s photos showing her dining with Jeffrey Vappie at a French Quarter restaurant, prompting the New Orleans Police Department to reassign Vappie pending an investigation into potential policy violations.
Breaud countersued, claiming that the mayor was infringing upon her right to free speech.
Photos from the Metropolitan Crime Commission raised concerns about Officer Jeffrey Vappie’s responsibilities while dining with Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Sunday, April 7. Cantrell did not attend Tuesday’s hearing. Her lawyer, Eddie Castaing, indicated that Cantrell is prepared to move forward from the incident.
“We had a fair hearing with an impartial judge. We believed our legal stance was strong. The judge disagreed, and the Mayor respects the court’s decision and is prepared to move forward,” he stated.
Mayor Cantrell accused Breaud of harassment and endangering public safety.
Rafael Goyeneche, head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, criticized the mayor’s actions, calling her filing a “pathetic” attempt to divert attention from her own questionable behavior.
“This is laughable,” Goyeneche remarked. “It’s really a feeble attempt to shift focus away from what (Cantrell) did. So, this is about the mayor, not the individual who took the photograph.”
“Breaud asserts that taking photos in public is protected by the First Amendment,” said Justin Schmidt, Breaud’s attorney, following the judge’s ruling. “She observed something she believed was inappropriate and took action.”
Bringing attention to the threats and aggressive behaviors directed at the Mayor was crucial. In our current political climate, it’s especially important to shine a light on these issues, underscoring that nobody should face threats or mistreatment. With this legal process concluded, there’s heightened awareness of the need for the Mayor to be treated with respect and to enjoy a safe and dignified quality of life for herself and her family.
Schmidt also questioned how the Mayor obtained his client’s social security number, old driver’s license photo, and other personal information for the court filings, reiterating his earlier claim that NOPD provided this information to Cantrell.
This judgement today does not preclude Ms. Breaud from going forward with any kind of action, perhaps over (at the federal courthouse), and not here (at the parish courthouse) in the future to determine exactly what happened with that information, how it got into her petition,” he said.
Breaud said she is considering what’s next.
“It’s very hard for me to now live where I live and feel safe from the things around me and from people that may retaliate because she is the Mayor of New Orleans. So I’ve changed up some things, but I’m not sure where we’ll go with that,” she said.
Castaing said he had no idea how Cantrell obtained Breaud’s personal information.
“No, no no no no. The case is over. We don’t have to litigate it anymore. It’s over,” he said.
FOX 8 reached out to NOPD and Cantrell’s office about the records.
NOPD stated it’s Public Integrity Bureau is investigating the Schmidt’s claim but declined to comment further.