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Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about NOLAs next political scandal?
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:35 am
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:35 am
Well here you go. Summary is Edwin Shortys defense: “this be witch-hunt because I’m black”
LINK
How a family succession feud positioned 2 New Orleans politicians to benefit
Legal scholars say the case spawned conflicts of interest while the politicians have defended themselves
When two siblings sued to take control of their family estate from their aunt, they hoped to close a painful chapter.
Instead, their bid for help created a financial opportunity for New Orleans politicians after an elected judge steered the lucrative assignment of running the estate to her friend, a city constable. The constable later hired two allies, a state legislator and a subordinate in his office, to perform work for the estate.
After siblings Michael and Micaela Nobile filed their 2022 lawsuit, civil Judge Jennifer Medley agreed to remove their aunt from the estate after years of poor stewardship. But then, in a move that succession attorneys say spawned conflicts of interest and raised questions about the bounds of Louisiana succession law, Medley handed control of its affairs to 2nd City Constable Edwin Shorty, her former law school classmate who has donated to her campaign and has no ties to the family.
Hundreds of pages of court and real estate records show how the decision positioned Shorty and state Rep. Delisha Boyd — his political ally, fellow Democrat and legal client in ongoing bankruptcy litigation — to benefit.
“When checks and balances aren’t in place, that’s where problems start,” said Brad Scott, a succession attorney and partner at New Orleans-based Scott Law Group who reviewed files from the case and is not involved in it. “That’s what you see in this case.”
Medley allowed Shorty to bill the estate for attorney’s fees at a rate of $250 per hour, records show, though experts said administrators typically bill 2.5% of an estate’s value rather than an hourly fee. In an interview, Shorty said he has not yet paid himself those fees and declined to provide records of hours he’s worked.
LINK
How a family succession feud positioned 2 New Orleans politicians to benefit
Legal scholars say the case spawned conflicts of interest while the politicians have defended themselves
When two siblings sued to take control of their family estate from their aunt, they hoped to close a painful chapter.
Instead, their bid for help created a financial opportunity for New Orleans politicians after an elected judge steered the lucrative assignment of running the estate to her friend, a city constable. The constable later hired two allies, a state legislator and a subordinate in his office, to perform work for the estate.
After siblings Michael and Micaela Nobile filed their 2022 lawsuit, civil Judge Jennifer Medley agreed to remove their aunt from the estate after years of poor stewardship. But then, in a move that succession attorneys say spawned conflicts of interest and raised questions about the bounds of Louisiana succession law, Medley handed control of its affairs to 2nd City Constable Edwin Shorty, her former law school classmate who has donated to her campaign and has no ties to the family.
Hundreds of pages of court and real estate records show how the decision positioned Shorty and state Rep. Delisha Boyd — his political ally, fellow Democrat and legal client in ongoing bankruptcy litigation — to benefit.
“When checks and balances aren’t in place, that’s where problems start,” said Brad Scott, a succession attorney and partner at New Orleans-based Scott Law Group who reviewed files from the case and is not involved in it. “That’s what you see in this case.”
Medley allowed Shorty to bill the estate for attorney’s fees at a rate of $250 per hour, records show, though experts said administrators typically bill 2.5% of an estate’s value rather than an hourly fee. In an interview, Shorty said he has not yet paid himself those fees and declined to provide records of hours he’s worked.
12
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:35 am to sidewalkside
In 2024, Shorty tapped Boyd’s real estate firm to sell an estate property. Records show Boyd’s daughter, an agent at the firm who supports her mother and Shorty's political campaigns, represented both buyer and seller on the transaction as allowed by Louisiana law, taking a $19,800 commission.
“We feel the system has failed us and our estate was used to benefit others,” said Micaela Nobile, 33, one of the siblings who filed the 2022 complaint. The lawsuit had asked Medley to put Micaela in charge.
Shorty, an attorney who sits on Southern University’s Board of Supervisors, defended his handling of the estate in an interview. Boyd declined to answer questions for this story. In a brief statement provided by an attorney, she denied that political ties led to her firm receiving the work. Medley declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
“We feel the system has failed us and our estate was used to benefit others,” said Micaela Nobile, 33, one of the siblings who filed the 2022 complaint. The lawsuit had asked Medley to put Micaela in charge.
Shorty, an attorney who sits on Southern University’s Board of Supervisors, defended his handling of the estate in an interview. Boyd declined to answer questions for this story. In a brief statement provided by an attorney, she denied that political ties led to her firm receiving the work. Medley declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:37 am to sidewalkside
The case in Orleans Parish Civil District Court highlights tensions that can arise when succession proceedings languish without resolution — as well as thorny dynamics that can proliferate under Louisiana’s system of electing judges, where jurists and attorneys who donate to their campaigns often practice in concert.
The Nobile siblings contend the estate has deteriorated further under Shorty’s oversight. Documents they filed in court and provided to the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board accuse him of refusing to disclose how much he’s paying himself and of selling property after Boyd’s firm publicly listed it for one day.
Six Louisiana succession attorneys who are not involved in the litigation reviewed documents from the case for The Times-Picayune and said several aspects of the arrangement raised concerns.
First, Shorty appears to have flouted an obligation to file annual accountings of estate assets, raising serious questions about his stewardship, said Elizabeth Carter, a professor at LSU’s Law Center who specializes in estate planning and successions.
The attorneys also questioned Medley’s decision to appoint Shorty as an "independent administrator” — a title that lets him make decisions with less court oversight than typical estate executors. Hiring Boyd’s firm to sell property posed a conflict, they said, because Shorty represents her in bankruptcy court and the two are political allies. They also questioned why Shorty enlisted a firm run by someone in apparently dire financial straits to steward a family’s inheritance.
“Any estate fiduciary ought to attempt to avoid even the appearance of any impropriety or conflict of interest,” Carter said.
Shorty said he has managed successions for years and took this one on as a public service. Family bickering had grown so intense, he said, that only an outsider could untangle its affairs. He suggested the heirs are bitter because “the Black judge appointed a Black guy and the Black guy hired a Black Realtor,” a characterization the siblings’ attorney denied. He said the Nobile siblings owe the estate for payments their aunt, the original administrator, allegedly gave their father before his death.
The Nobile siblings contend the estate has deteriorated further under Shorty’s oversight. Documents they filed in court and provided to the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board accuse him of refusing to disclose how much he’s paying himself and of selling property after Boyd’s firm publicly listed it for one day.
Six Louisiana succession attorneys who are not involved in the litigation reviewed documents from the case for The Times-Picayune and said several aspects of the arrangement raised concerns.
First, Shorty appears to have flouted an obligation to file annual accountings of estate assets, raising serious questions about his stewardship, said Elizabeth Carter, a professor at LSU’s Law Center who specializes in estate planning and successions.
The attorneys also questioned Medley’s decision to appoint Shorty as an "independent administrator” — a title that lets him make decisions with less court oversight than typical estate executors. Hiring Boyd’s firm to sell property posed a conflict, they said, because Shorty represents her in bankruptcy court and the two are political allies. They also questioned why Shorty enlisted a firm run by someone in apparently dire financial straits to steward a family’s inheritance.
“Any estate fiduciary ought to attempt to avoid even the appearance of any impropriety or conflict of interest,” Carter said.
Shorty said he has managed successions for years and took this one on as a public service. Family bickering had grown so intense, he said, that only an outsider could untangle its affairs. He suggested the heirs are bitter because “the Black judge appointed a Black guy and the Black guy hired a Black Realtor,” a characterization the siblings’ attorney denied. He said the Nobile siblings owe the estate for payments their aunt, the original administrator, allegedly gave their father before his death.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:38 am to sidewalkside
You’re trying to live off your dead family members,” Shorty said. “You’re acting like this thing is holding up your life. ‘I can’t move on with my life.’ Why? How is it stopping you from working? Go do whatever you’re doing.”
The siblings' attorney, Gary J. Williams, said the payments Shorty described were a partial advance on their father’s inheritance. He strongly disagreed that race had embittered his clients, saying Shorty “generated that suspicion all on his own.”
“Our problems were (that) we could never get word from him of what was going on,” Williams said.
Boyd in the statement provided by her lawyer said she sold real estate for Shorty and his wife long before she was elected to political office. Her attorney provided a memo from the Louisiana Real Estate Commission saying the commission found no wrongdoing in the transaction despite a complaint Micaela Nobile filed last year.
“I was not hired because of my political ties nor because of my relationship with him as my bankruptcy lawyer,” Boyd said. “My company is reputable and has won numerous awards for service.”
The arrangement unfolded amid mounting legal and political troubles facing Shorty, Medley and Boyd.
A judge early this year held Shorty in contempt and ordered him to pay an insurance company’s legal fees after he stopped responding to motions in a lawsuit he’d filed on the estate’s behalf. Medley recently returned to the bench after a suspension for unrelated campaign misconduct. And Boyd is under scrutiny for money that flowed last fall from her campaign account — and a PAC supporting her and Shorty — to a firm she owns with the daughter, who manages the PAC and sold estate property.
Boyd filed for bankruptcy in January, saying she owes creditors more than $1 million. Records name Shorty as her lawyer in that proceeding — Boyd’s third bankruptcy with Shorty as her attorney.
The siblings' attorney, Gary J. Williams, said the payments Shorty described were a partial advance on their father’s inheritance. He strongly disagreed that race had embittered his clients, saying Shorty “generated that suspicion all on his own.”
“Our problems were (that) we could never get word from him of what was going on,” Williams said.
Boyd in the statement provided by her lawyer said she sold real estate for Shorty and his wife long before she was elected to political office. Her attorney provided a memo from the Louisiana Real Estate Commission saying the commission found no wrongdoing in the transaction despite a complaint Micaela Nobile filed last year.
“I was not hired because of my political ties nor because of my relationship with him as my bankruptcy lawyer,” Boyd said. “My company is reputable and has won numerous awards for service.”
The arrangement unfolded amid mounting legal and political troubles facing Shorty, Medley and Boyd.
A judge early this year held Shorty in contempt and ordered him to pay an insurance company’s legal fees after he stopped responding to motions in a lawsuit he’d filed on the estate’s behalf. Medley recently returned to the bench after a suspension for unrelated campaign misconduct. And Boyd is under scrutiny for money that flowed last fall from her campaign account — and a PAC supporting her and Shorty — to a firm she owns with the daughter, who manages the PAC and sold estate property.
Boyd filed for bankruptcy in January, saying she owes creditors more than $1 million. Records name Shorty as her lawyer in that proceeding — Boyd’s third bankruptcy with Shorty as her attorney.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:39 am to sidewalkside
Legal feud
The embattled estate originally belonged to the siblings’ grandfather, Ferdie Nobile. His 1996 death left a pair of double-shotguns near Audubon Park and a two-floor Washington Avenue home to his children: Michael Nobile Sr., Marilyn Nobile and Lucille Perry. The will named Perry to run the estate.
The properties, together worth more than $1 million according to current market estimates, were still tied up in estate proceedings when Michael Sr. died in 2021. Micaela and Michael Jr. inherited his stake, and soon became alarmed: Their aunt had used estate accounts to buy hundreds of knickknacks through a television shopping service while letting the properties deteriorate, they alleged. Perry could not be reached.
If their lawsuit sought a resolution, it ended up deepening the family’s angst.
Succession attorneys said it’s not uncommon for judges to tap outsiders when estate proceedings become particularly contentious. But Medley’s 2022 order did not give a reason for naming Shorty independent administrator, nor did she discuss that possibility during a two-day trial over the siblings’ lawsuit. Four attorneys told The Times-Picayune that Louisiana law generally allows judges to appoint independent administrators when a will authorizes it, or when heirs agree to it. Neither was the case with the Nobile estate.
“It is typically either authorized in the will or done with the consent of the heirs,” said Scott, the New Orleans-based succession attorney. “When it is created by the court in a contested setting, particularly without it being clearly litigated or discussed in the record, it is less common and can raise questions about the scope of authority being granted.”
The embattled estate originally belonged to the siblings’ grandfather, Ferdie Nobile. His 1996 death left a pair of double-shotguns near Audubon Park and a two-floor Washington Avenue home to his children: Michael Nobile Sr., Marilyn Nobile and Lucille Perry. The will named Perry to run the estate.
The properties, together worth more than $1 million according to current market estimates, were still tied up in estate proceedings when Michael Sr. died in 2021. Micaela and Michael Jr. inherited his stake, and soon became alarmed: Their aunt had used estate accounts to buy hundreds of knickknacks through a television shopping service while letting the properties deteriorate, they alleged. Perry could not be reached.
If their lawsuit sought a resolution, it ended up deepening the family’s angst.
Succession attorneys said it’s not uncommon for judges to tap outsiders when estate proceedings become particularly contentious. But Medley’s 2022 order did not give a reason for naming Shorty independent administrator, nor did she discuss that possibility during a two-day trial over the siblings’ lawsuit. Four attorneys told The Times-Picayune that Louisiana law generally allows judges to appoint independent administrators when a will authorizes it, or when heirs agree to it. Neither was the case with the Nobile estate.
“It is typically either authorized in the will or done with the consent of the heirs,” said Scott, the New Orleans-based succession attorney. “When it is created by the court in a contested setting, particularly without it being clearly litigated or discussed in the record, it is less common and can raise questions about the scope of authority being granted.”
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:40 am to sidewalkside
NOLA is such a shithole lol
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:41 am to sidewalkside
Shorty and Medley were law school classmates; he once posted on Facebook about organizing a Southern Law School alumni event with her. Another post shows Shorty, Medley, Delisha Boyd and Kristen Boyd attending a holiday bonfire together in 2022 in Algiers. Shorty donated $2,000 to Medley’s 2020 judicial race.
Shorty acknowledged that he and the judge were classmates. “But other than that, I’ve been practicing long enough that I know all of (the judges),” he said.
The job has caused him additional legal troubles.
After suing a state insurer over an estate Hurricane Ida claim, Shorty disappeared, the insurer’s lawyer alleged. A judge last month held Shorty in contempt in that case.
Shorty and Medley were law school classmates; he once posted on Facebook about organizing a Southern Law School alumni event with her. Another post shows Shorty, Medley, Delisha Boyd and Kristen Boyd attending a holiday bonfire together in 2022 in Algiers. Shorty donated $2,000 to Medley’s 2020 judicial race.
Shorty acknowledged that he and the judge were classmates. “But other than that, I’ve been practicing long enough that I know all of (the judges),” he said.
The job has caused him additional legal troubles.
After suing a state insurer over an estate Hurricane Ida claim, Shorty disappeared, the insurer’s lawyer alleged. A judge last month held Shorty in contempt in that case.
Discord between Shorty and the heirs reached a boiling point after the contempt hearing as Marilyn Nobile, the siblings’ other aunt and surviving heir, berated Shorty’s lawyer in the courthouse hallway. She called the estate’s condition “worse now” than under Perry.
It just continues to feel like he’s not upholding his duties,” said Michael Nobile, 30, a videographer who now lives in Oregon.
The siblings alleged in court filings and in documents submitted to the Disciplinary Board that Shorty waited until 2025 to file an accounting of estate assets, which administrators are required to file annually. The accounting did not mention his attorney’s fees.
“He was supposed to provide accountings ages ago and never did,” said Carter, the LSU professor. “That is usually going to be a breach of his duties as executor.”
Questions surround property sale
In 2024, Shorty proposed selling one of the Broadway Street shotguns to cover repairs and tax bills from the other estate properties.
About 18 months after an appraiser valued the building at $420,000, Delisha Boyd Realty listed it for $399,900. Records show the property went under contract the same day to a couple from North Carolina, Tracy and Kirkland Sanford. Working through an LLC registered a month earlier, the Sanfords finalized the purchase in February 2025 for $301,000.
Shorty acknowledged that he and the judge were classmates. “But other than that, I’ve been practicing long enough that I know all of (the judges),” he said.
The job has caused him additional legal troubles.
After suing a state insurer over an estate Hurricane Ida claim, Shorty disappeared, the insurer’s lawyer alleged. A judge last month held Shorty in contempt in that case.
Shorty and Medley were law school classmates; he once posted on Facebook about organizing a Southern Law School alumni event with her. Another post shows Shorty, Medley, Delisha Boyd and Kristen Boyd attending a holiday bonfire together in 2022 in Algiers. Shorty donated $2,000 to Medley’s 2020 judicial race.
Shorty acknowledged that he and the judge were classmates. “But other than that, I’ve been practicing long enough that I know all of (the judges),” he said.
The job has caused him additional legal troubles.
After suing a state insurer over an estate Hurricane Ida claim, Shorty disappeared, the insurer’s lawyer alleged. A judge last month held Shorty in contempt in that case.
Discord between Shorty and the heirs reached a boiling point after the contempt hearing as Marilyn Nobile, the siblings’ other aunt and surviving heir, berated Shorty’s lawyer in the courthouse hallway. She called the estate’s condition “worse now” than under Perry.
It just continues to feel like he’s not upholding his duties,” said Michael Nobile, 30, a videographer who now lives in Oregon.
The siblings alleged in court filings and in documents submitted to the Disciplinary Board that Shorty waited until 2025 to file an accounting of estate assets, which administrators are required to file annually. The accounting did not mention his attorney’s fees.
“He was supposed to provide accountings ages ago and never did,” said Carter, the LSU professor. “That is usually going to be a breach of his duties as executor.”
Questions surround property sale
In 2024, Shorty proposed selling one of the Broadway Street shotguns to cover repairs and tax bills from the other estate properties.
About 18 months after an appraiser valued the building at $420,000, Delisha Boyd Realty listed it for $399,900. Records show the property went under contract the same day to a couple from North Carolina, Tracy and Kirkland Sanford. Working through an LLC registered a month earlier, the Sanfords finalized the purchase in February 2025 for $301,000.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:42 am to sidewalkside
Tracy Sanford later donated $250 to Boyd’s City Council campaign. She did not respond to messages.
Boyd’s daughter who handled the sale, Kristen Boyd, wrote in an email that inspectors found termites, an asbestos-ridden roof and other damage after the property went under contract. Shorty filed court documents seeking permission to sell it at a reduced price, estimating fixes would cost $60,000.
Aside from representing her in bankruptcy court, Shorty previously chaired Delisha Boyd’s political campaign and supported her at-large City Council bid last fall while he ran for Orleans Parish Sheriff. Their close relationship, he said, simply makes her firm a helpful choice to sell real estate quickly.
“I use Delisha all the time,” Shorty said.
In her statement, Boyd said her company had no involvement with the legal side of the succession.
Boyd’s daughter who handled the sale, Kristen Boyd, wrote in an email that inspectors found termites, an asbestos-ridden roof and other damage after the property went under contract. Shorty filed court documents seeking permission to sell it at a reduced price, estimating fixes would cost $60,000.
Aside from representing her in bankruptcy court, Shorty previously chaired Delisha Boyd’s political campaign and supported her at-large City Council bid last fall while he ran for Orleans Parish Sheriff. Their close relationship, he said, simply makes her firm a helpful choice to sell real estate quickly.
“I use Delisha all the time,” Shorty said.
In her statement, Boyd said her company had no involvement with the legal side of the succession.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:43 am to sidewalkside
Throughout my years as a licensed agent and broker, I have sold several court-ordered properties from divorces or successions,” she said. “Realtors are never given the details of any file.”
Records show at least one other Shorty associate performed work for the estate. Annis Broussard, a longtime deputy constable arrested in 2018 for a concealed-carry permitting scheme, served Lucille Perry with documents ordering belongings removed from one property. He was paid several hundred dollars, Shorty said. Broussard could not be reached.
The choice to leave the Broadway property on the market for one day became a sticking point for the Nobile siblings.
“It didn’t give the estate a chance to try the market at all,” Michael Nobile said.
Both Shorty and Kristen Boyd disputed that the property was listed for a single day. When a reporter referred Shorty to a real estate record that listed the same “list date” and “sale date” for the property, he said selling swiftly was necessary to bring cash into estate accounts.
Records show at least one other Shorty associate performed work for the estate. Annis Broussard, a longtime deputy constable arrested in 2018 for a concealed-carry permitting scheme, served Lucille Perry with documents ordering belongings removed from one property. He was paid several hundred dollars, Shorty said. Broussard could not be reached.
The choice to leave the Broadway property on the market for one day became a sticking point for the Nobile siblings.
“It didn’t give the estate a chance to try the market at all,” Michael Nobile said.
Both Shorty and Kristen Boyd disputed that the property was listed for a single day. When a reporter referred Shorty to a real estate record that listed the same “list date” and “sale date” for the property, he said selling swiftly was necessary to bring cash into estate accounts.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:44 am to sidewalkside
There’s no statute that says you’ve got to list something for six months,” he said. “Everything we did, we asked the court for permission.”
Carter questioned why Shorty sought approval he didn’t need as an independent administrator. She said doing so would incur unneeded fees.
“The whole point of independent administration is that you do not need court approval for these things," Carter said.
Carter questioned why Shorty sought approval he didn’t need as an independent administrator. She said doing so would incur unneeded fees.
“The whole point of independent administration is that you do not need court approval for these things," Carter said.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:51 am to sidewalkside
Ok Nostradamus, what’s the winning MegaMillions ticket number?
Posted on 4/6/26 at 10:57 am to sidewalkside
What a scandal?
Is anyone going to care about this in 3 months?
Is anyone going to care about this in 3 months?
This post was edited on 4/6/26 at 10:58 am
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:00 am to sidewalkside
Gotta wonder why you care so much about this one.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:06 am to OysterPoBoy
quote:you don’t care about broad coordinated political insider dealing that continues to reflect poorly on NOLA and drive future business and investment away from the city?
Gotta wonder why you care so much about this one.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:29 am to sidewalkside
quote:
Medley allowed Shorty to bill the estate for attorney’s fees at a rate of $250 per hour
Is this.... supposed to be a lot?
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:46 am to Cold Cous Cous
quote:we know all the OT ballers bill out at 350 an hour. (700k annually)
Is this.... supposed to be a lot?
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:49 am to sidewalkside
This thread blows like the op
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:53 am to sidewalkside
TL:DR, Trombone Shorty plays the trombone.
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:54 am to sidewalkside
Who gives a shite if they frick each other over?
Posted on 4/6/26 at 11:56 am to sidewalkside
I love how this “estate” is just three dilapidated houses.
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