New law will implement stricter penalties on ankle monitoring companies
BATON ROUGE - Governor Landry signed a bill that enforces stricter punishments for ankle monitoring companies. Failure to report violations to law enforcement can lead to fines, an imprisonment of six months, and the inability to work in the field for up to five years.
The decision stems from the case of Marshall Rayburn, who repeatedly breached his ex wife's home after she filed a restraining order. He shot and killed Peggy Rayburn before killing himself. All of this occurred while he was wearing an ankle monitor.
West Feliciana Parish District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla alleges that the company, American Electronic Monitoring, was aware of the breaches but never reported them.
Owner Van Hopkins and employee Deborah Shirley were charged with negligence in the murder-suicide of Marshall and Peggy Rayburn. The court of appeal stated that they could not be charged due to lack of evidence.
DA D'Aquilla said that he and his team decided to take further action and took the idea of the bill to the Louisiana Supreme Court.
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Hopkins, Shirley and American Electronic Monitoring are still facing charges of possible negligence for the 2021 murder-suicide.