Baton Rouge defense attorney Franz Borghardt recently joined Talk 107.3 to debate two major legal stories. First, Borghardt discussed controversial pastor Tony Spell. A leaked police bodycam video shows Spell mowing his lawn at 4:00 AM. In the video, Spell yells anti-gay slurs and threatens his neighbor’s son.
Borghardt explained the law behind this neighborhood feud. He noted that 4:00 AM lawn care is bad neighbor etiquette. However, it might not break local noise laws if Spell stays on his own property. Borghardt also explained the quick video leak. Because police did not arrest Spell on the scene, the footage became public record. In the video, Spell says you must handle the flames if you start a fire. Borghardt noted this statement hurts any future self-defense claims.
Next, the segment shifted gears to former NFL player Richard Murphy. Police recently booked Murphy for vehicular homicide after a fatal car crash. The public wants to know why the booking took two weeks. Borghardt demystified the timeline. He stated that police must wait for blood-test results if a driver refuses a breathalyzer. Suspects also frequently require hospital care before jail booking. Finally, Borghardt defended voluntary turn-ins. Coordinating a surrender early in the week protects officer safety and speeds up the bond process.