FORMER PARTNER OF JAILED JUDGE TO TESTIFY

Bodenheimer Placed Under Suicide Watch

A former law partner and close friend of Jefferson Parish Judge Ronald D.
Bodenheimer, who is jailed and under suicide watch after being accused of
drug conspiracy, is among several people subpoenaed to appear next week
before a federal grand jury, attorneys and other sources close to the case
said Friday.

Jefferson Parish attorney George Hesni II, who shared a private practice
with Bodenheimer before the judge was elected in 1999, received a subpoena
this week, Hesni's attorney, Milton Masinter, confirmed. Masinter would not
discuss details, and federal prosecutors could not be reached for comment
Friday.

But sources familiar with the investigation said Hesni's subpoena is one of
several served after Bodenheimer's arrest Wednesday on charges that he
arranged to have illegal drugs planted in the vehicle of a man who
complained to federal officials about drug trafficking and zoning
violations at the eastern New Orleans marina that Bodenheimer owns.

"He ain't gonna know what hit him," Bodenheimer is quoted in federal
documents as saying about the federal witness, who has not been identified.

Bodenheimer, 49, of Metairie and Curley Joseph Chewning, 57, of Chalmette
were booked with distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute
the morphine-based painkiller OxyContin, among other charges. U.S.
Magistrate Louis Moore on Thursday set Bodenheimer's bond at $150,000. But
concerned that Bodenheimer could be suicidal, Moore ordered that he undergo
psychiatric testing before being released. A psychiatric evaluation is
scheduled for Monday.

Bodenheimer's attorney, Ralph Capitelli, said his client was under suicide
watch when he met him in jail Thursday night.

"He is very upset and concerned for his family members and friends,"
Capitelli said.

Under FBI's watch

Bodenheimer and Chewning, who prosecutors said planted the OxyContin in
April, could each face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $2 million
fine, federal prosecutors said. Bodenheimer, who ran in 1999 touting his
20-year career as a tough-on-crime prosecutor, was transferred Thursday
from the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna to a federal tier
of the St. Bernard Parish Prison, St. Bernard officials said.

Court documents show the FBI has been conducting electronic surveillance of
Bodenheimer and Chewning since at least October. But sources familiar with
the investigation said Friday that federal officials began investigating
Bodenheimer more than a year ago. Federal investigators initially began
examining Bodenheimer's handling of several court cases and discovered the
actions that generated the drug conspiracy charges only after they began
wiretapping his conversations.

An FBI spokeswoman said she could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Jim Letten could not be reached for comment.

A grand jury hearing Bodenheimer's and Chewning's cases will decide whether
to indict them. Only if indicted would they face an arraignment, at which
they plead guilty or innocent of the charges.

Plea deal speculated

Bodenheimer's hiring of Capitelli, however, stirred speculation Friday that
he might be trying to reach a plea agreement with prosecutors. Capitelli,
an experienced federal defense attorney, is widely recognized as one of a
group of go-to attorneys when seeking a plea agreement. Capitelli on Friday
said his first priority is to get Bodenheimer released on bond.

"My goal now is to get him out," he said.

Bodenheimer's arrest was fodder for extensive conversation in courts across
the metro area Friday. Attorneys who argued cases in his courtroom said
privately that they were shocked at the arrest of somebody widely regarded
as "a good guy" and an effective judge.

A recently released report about the efficiency of judges on the 24th
Judicial Court ranked Bodenheimer 10th among the court's 16 judges, noting
that the efficiency of his division "has shown overall improvement" since
he took the bench. The report, prepared by the Metropolitan Crime
Commission, examined cases closed in 1999 and 2000 and considered factors
such as how long it took to process felony cases in each division and the
average number of felony cases pending.

In 1999, Bodenheimer defeated then state Rep. Jim Donelon in a heated race
to reach the bench. Donelon, now the acting chief deputy commissioner of
insurance, said Friday that he does not interpret Bodenheimer's arrest as
vindication.

"It does, however, makes me feel stronger about a proposal I made every
year in the Legislature to change our selection of judges from elections to
appointments based on a merit system," Donelon said.