Federal judge says Sen. Landrieu office suspects’ case can be resolved by magistrate

Landrieu office suspects will go before magistrate

NEW ORLEANS — A federal judge has ruled that misdemeanor charges against four conservative activists who initially were accused of trying to tamper with phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu’s New Orleans office can be resolved before a magistrate instead of a judge.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. said in an order Wednesday that he won’t hear the case even though the four are charged with a serious crime involving a breach of security at a federal building.

James O’Keefe, Stan Dai, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan will appear before Magistrate Daniel Knowles III later this month for arraignments on misdemeanor charges of entering a federal building under false pretenses.

O’Keefe is a videographer famous for wearing a pimp costume in a video that embarrassed the ACORN community organizing group.