NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A trial date has been set for a white man accused of shooting at three black men in what federal prosecutors said was a racially motivated attack following Hurricane Katrina.
The case of Roland Bourgeois Jr. has dragged on for years. He was indicted five years after the 2005 storm. His trial has been delayed numerous times amid questions about his health.
Court records show a closed hearing was held in May on his competency. Psychological and medical reports were sealed. However, on Friday, U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon set a Nov. 26 trial date.
Authorities said Bourgeois fired a shotgun at three black men, wounding one, after he and others discussed shooting black people and defending a New Orleans neighborhood following Katrina.
He has pleaded not guilty.
