When City-Parish Councilman Brandon Shelvin was a no-show in court this morning, 15th Judicial District Judge Glenn Everett issued a warrant for his arrest.
When City-Parish Councilman Brandon Shelvin was a no-show in court this morning, 15th Judicial District Judge Glenn Everett issued a warrant for his arrest.
Hancock Bank is tired of waiting for its money from Shelvin. Since July 2009 Shelvin has failed to make payments on a $10,000 preferred line of credit and now owes the bank $8,319 plus interest, late charges, attorneys fees and court costs. The bank sued him in state district court in October and was granted a judgment the following month. But Shelvin still didn't pay up.
On Jan. 13 Hancock Bank filed a Judgment Debtor Examination Petition and request for production of documents, asking the court to require Shelvin to turn over all of his financial information, including his check stubs and W2s for the past two years, checking and savings account statements, and all of his assets - from automobiles down to jewelry and coins.
But Shelvin didn't show up, leaving the judge with no alternative but to issue a warrant for his arrest.
"It basically means they will go pick him up," attorney Eric Neumann said in the courthouse hallway after leaving Everett's court. Neumann appeared in court on behalf of McGlinchey Stafford law firm out of Baton Rouge, which is representing Hancock Bank in the suit against Shelvin.
Court records confirm Shelvin was personally served by the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's office on Jan. 21, officially notifying him that he must appear in court March 1 at 10 a.m. to produce the required documents listed in the motion. Once Shelvin is arrested, according to Everett's warrant, he is to be booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. The warrant instructs the sheriff's office to then contact Neumann,who must appear within three hours to question Shelvin.
As civil matters go, however, that's not likely to be the process, says Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mike Neustrom. "Normally we don't book people in civil matters. If we did we'd have to have five or 10 more jails." Neustrom says the department has gotten word to Shelvin and is in the process of setting up a meeting between him and Neumann at the sheriff's office today. The sheriff says Shelvin is not getting any special treatment. "It's a normal procedure we're following."
A message left for Shelvin on his cell phone was not returned. At about 1:45 p.m. he was in a meeting at the council briefing room, discussing the downtown bar levy with bar owners.