Baton Rouge has a bicycle problem. This past November alone, two bicyclists lost their lives after they were struck by vehicles. On November 1, a person crossing Sherwood Forest Boulevard was hit by a passing car at 6:30 p.m.[1] On November 15, a man was hit trying to cross Florida Boulevard at 10 p.m.[2] Louisiana is the second worst state nationally for bicyclists’ deaths; 93 people have died statewide since 2015, with 11 of those occurring in East Baton Rouge Parish.[3] Statistics show that the victims are usually men, with the accidents typically taking place between 6 and 9 p.m.  

The issue of bike safety gained added awareness in June of 2018 when Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Buddy Amoroso was killed while riding in West Feliciana Parish. Many bike riders frequent the roads in West Feliciana due to the rolling hills and scenery. However, the popularity and the nature of the roads has made it a relatively dangerous area to bike. After Buddy Amoroso’s death, many of the cycling enthusiasts envisioned changes that would more heavily penalize drivers or admonish them to be aware of the bikers, but the opposite occurred.[4] 

The West Feliciana council passed an ordinance that drew heavy criticism from the cyclists, as the regulations were aimed at them as opposed to drivers. The ordinance requires cyclists to wear high-visibility vests, mandates that they ride in single file lines within two feet of the shoulder and that they ride in groups of 10 or fewer. The fine for a violation is $100. To protest the new ordinance, organizers of a race in St. Francisville canceled their event two days after it was passed.[5]

While the West Feliciana ordinance may not sit well with cyclists, city planners are trying to make Baton Rouge a more bike-friendly city. BREC is in the process of enhancing Baton Rouge’s biking infrastructure, connecting different parts of the city with bike lanes or creating separate bike paths.[6] The Department of Transportation is allocating $250,000 toward a bike master plan in Baton Rouge, with BREC receiving $50,000.[7] Part of the plan is to make a bike loop around the entire parish.

One reason Baton Rouge tends to be more dangerous for riders is that it is a very auto-centric city.[8] Planners hope to reduce the amount of car traffic and boost the number of cyclists downtown by bringing a new BikeShare program to the city. The service will strategically place bikes available for rent via smartphone in the downtown area and near the LSU campus, hoping to encourage biking and reduce the amount of vehicle traffic.

While Baton Rouge aims to become more bike-friendly, unfortunately, accidents are likely to occur until lasting changes are in place. Contact us if you are involved in a bicycle accident and would like helpful legal advice.

[1] https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_826cb4c8-de3e-11e8-bddc-9ff3c0e8ca87.html

[2] http://www.wafb.com/2018/11/15/bicyclist-dies-after-getting-hit-by-vehicles/

[3] https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_96cce980-c334-11e8-bb33-0b2accfc7d93.html

[4] https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_15f7ab6e-c74a-11e8-9bef-fb069954fa61.html

[5] https://www.knoe.com/content/news/Bike-races-canceled-after-Louisiana-city-imposes-new-rules-497582271.html

[6] https://www.225batonrouge.com/things-to-do/citys-bad-rap-bike-safety-encouraging-enthusiasts-put-riders-streets

[7] https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_96cce980-c334-11e8-bb33-0b2accfc7d93.html

[8] https://www.225batonrouge.com/things-to-do/citys-bad-rap-bike-safety-encouraging-enthusiasts-put-riders-streets

Silicon Valley’s amazing technology has made our lives easier. Voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa can tell us the weather, play our favorite music on command, and add grocery items to our shopping lists. With the tap of a button, we can catch a ride using the Uber app. Countless other products offer similar conveniences and provide greater simplicity to our lives. However, this added convenience comes with strings attached.

By using these products, we generate vast amounts of data. These giant tech companies store that information to improve their products (and their targeted advertising). This data is increasingly entering the crosshairs of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes. By putting enough pieces of your digital footprint together, law enforcement can generate a pretty complete picture of a person’s life.

Law enforcement is relying more and more on digital evidence because of how enlightening (or incriminating) this information can be. Warrants for a cell phone search are commonplace in today’s world, but as Silicon Valley develops newer products, law enforcement sees additional opportunities to gather evidence.

Recently, police in Arkansas turned their sights on an Amazon Echo smart speaker found in a murder suspect’s home. The Amazon Echo has a built-in microphone that is always listening, waiting for the user to issue a command. According to Amazon, the speaker only starts recording once it hears “Alexa.” Amazon stores the recorded commands or questions that follow in a database to improve its voice-recognition accuracy.

Police issued Amazon a search warrant for any data the speaker may have recorded on the night of the murder. Since a judge signed off on the warrant, Amazon became the last line of defense against turning over the data. Amazon refused to grant the request, citing the privacy concerns of its customers.

The murder suspect ultimately granted Amazon his consent to provide the data, moving the resolution of this legal showdown to another day. While Amazon was likely more concerned about future customer’s fear of losing their privacy, the takeaway is that this data may be easily obtainable if the company possessing it complies with the request.

The focus of this case was past data already recorded and stored, but something to consider is the possibility of tapping into the Amazon Echo’s microphone in real time. Law enforcement can obtain judicial authorization for a wiretap of a suspect’s electronic communications. Any internet-connected smart device with a microphone can theoretically be remotely activated without the user knowing, creating a bugging device. On a scarier note, hackers have demonstrated the ability to do this with ease. The average citizen probably has nothing to worry about, but public figures, politicians, journalists, etc. may want to weigh whether the convenience of these devices is worth the privacy risks they pose.

Another recent target of law enforcement has been data generated by Uber riders and drivers. Just as in the Amazon case, a judge approved the subpoena for these records. The likely trend will be that judges grant these requests with regularity. One can imagine these records being requested in a divorce or custody proceeding, revealing a spouse’s habitual Uber rides from the bar or to his or her paramour’s house.

Technology will continue to progress and tech companies will continue to vacuum up more and more data about our daily lives. It’s possible we may never be able to delete that data, or only with varying degrees of difficulty. When enjoying the conveniences of Silicon Valley technology, it must always be assumed a detailed trail will be left behind.

Reverend John Pitzer was enjoying his Saturday after his ordination as a priest, only to wind up in a hospital just hours later.

Pitzer and a friend were riding in the back seat of a Mercedes when a Nissan ran a red light, rear-ending their vehicle. Pitzer suffered from bruises and broken ribs, while his fellow 54-year-old passenger George Mabon sadly succumbed to his injuries. The driver of the Mercedes, John Baur, was arrested for a first-offense DWI and reckless operation of a vehicle. Baur failed a field sobriety test and was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent, which in Louisiana can be used as presumptive evidence of drunken driving. The driver of the Nissan was also taken to the hospital for injuries he sustained in the incident.

Baur has been released on a $3,000 bond, but could face multiple charges. Many individuals are put in danger when reckless drivers are on the road, whether disregarding traffic signals or choosing to drink and drive. If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a wreck caused by a negligent driver, please call personal injury attorneys at the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm at (225) 650-7400 today.