The Louisiana Supreme Court overruled an Orleans Parish judge’s order to remove a Loyola law clinic staff attorney from an ongoing case on Nov. 19.

The order stems from numerous recent rulings by Frank Marullo, a judge for the Orleans Parish criminal district court, according to reports from The Times-Picayune.

The Picayune reports that Reese Sims, 58, was charged in July for felony theft of copper from a policeman’s house. During Sims’ Aug. 27 court appearance, Marullo ruled that Sims was not indigent and removed his original public defender, Joshua Perry, from the case.

Perry is also representing mugging suspect Chukwuemeka Anigbo, finance junior, in another case.

Steve Singer, chief of trials for the public defender system and professor at Loyola’s Law Clinic, then referred Sims to Bradley Black, a staff attorney for the Loyola law clinic. Black agreed to represent Sims pro bono.

Marullo then charged Singer with contempt of court for ignoring his ruling that Sims doesn’t qualify as indigent. Marullo sentenced Singer to 30 days in jail, a full suspension and an order to attend an ethics seminar titled “Your P’s and Q’s.”

Marullo made his decision based on Sims’ “nice” appearance in the courtroom. According to the Indigent Defender Board, however, Sims lost his home in Hurricane Katrina, drives a 1994 Buick and makes an income of $9,600 a year.

Black is representing the Sims case pro bono on her own; however, she said she cannot comment on an ongoing case.

The Maroon will continue to report on this story as more information becomes available.

Rosie Dao can be reached at [email protected].