Caddo Parish Commissioner Faces Legal Bill Struggles After Lawsuit

Caddo Parish Commissioner Chris Kracman will have to continue to fight to get his legal bills paid by the parish.

Though the defamation lawsuit against Kracman has been dismissed, the parish attorney has ruled that he was NOT acting in his capacity as a Caddo Commissioner when he made comments on KEEL radio that resulted in the lawsuit by the owners of a north Caddo Parish truck stop. The suit claimed Kracman defamed the owners.

Parish Attorney Donna Frazier says the parish should not be responsible to pay his legal bills. Her response to Kracman says:

Congratulations on the dismissal. However, per the Parish Ordinance, once the initial determination was made, the only way you can be indemnified is for the court to determine that you were acting within the course and scope of your duties as a commissioner. Short of that judicial determination, the parish is without legal authority to indemnify you.

Click Here to listen to the Kracman interview that resulted in the lawsuit.

A judge never heard the defamation case since it was dismissed before going to court. That means there has been no determination about whether or not Kracman was acting as a Commissioner when he made the comments.

What Is This Caddo Legal Battle About?

The Caddo Parish Commission approved a 2-cent sales & use tax in the I-49 North Economic Development District, specific to the TA truck-stop development in Hosston.

Kracman, who represents the area, was opposed to the parish adding a sales tax for this business. But the measure passed in April on a 7-4 despite Kracman’s opposition.

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What Is Happening Now at the Caddo Commission on this Legal Fight

Commissioner Grace Anne Blake has asked the administration to make a determination about Kracman's legal expenses and this resulted in the Frazier ruling. But the Blake request turned ugly earlier this week when things got heated during the work session.

Commissioner Victor Thomas turned off Blake's microphone and Chairwoman Stormy Gage-Watts threatened to have Blake removed from the meeting.

This issue is expected to come back up again during the Thursday regular meeting. Stay tuned.