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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> ''o 4. DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> ' Dw ''- <br /> 9 - LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> ' ji;,:, 'I c P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> I'L BATON ROUGE,LA 70821 <br /> CDhF ♦ <br /> (225)219-5600 <br /> D.D. ,,• <br /> FAX (225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> wwwethics.la.gov <br /> November 20, 2017 <br /> Eric Duplantis, Legal Advisory <br /> St. Mary Parish Government <br /> 500 Main Street <br /> Franklin, Louisiana 70538 <br /> Re: Louisiana Board of Ethics Docket No. 2017-1155 <br /> Dear Mr. Duplantis: <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its November 17, 2017 Board meeting, considered your request <br /> for an advisory opinion regarding whether Dr. Lianter Albert and Dr. Natchez Morice III may be <br /> appointed as Deputy Coroners for St. Mary Parish. St. Mary Parish pays the salary of Deputy <br /> Coroners. <br /> Dr. Lianter Albert serves as the Medical Director for the St. Mary Parish Drug Court. He performs <br /> physical examinations and reviews client's blood work to ensure the client is capable of withstanding <br /> the regular regiment of treatment; refers clients to any medical treatment needed beyond the scope <br /> of Drug Court;and,reviews and signs client treatment plans.Dr.Albert is an employee of Fairview <br /> Treatment Center(Center),a St.Mary Parish Government facility.He serves as the Medical Director <br /> of the Center and completes medical records and is responsible for assuring compliance with all <br /> applicable accreditation,regulatory,and legal requirements or guidelines,including standards from <br /> the Council on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. He does not refer patients to the <br /> Coroner's Office for Coroner's Emergency Certificates. However, he may issue a Physicians <br /> Emergency Certificate in his private practice. <br /> Dr. Natchez Morice, III is an owner and employee of a company that provides medical services to <br /> employees of St.Mary Parish and their dependents. Compensation for these services are paid by the <br /> employees or their health insurer. However, he receives no direct payments from St. Mary Parish. <br /> Dr. Morice may issue a Physicians Emergency Certificate in his private practice. <br /> The Board concluded,and instructed me to inform you,that the Code of Governmental Ethics would <br /> not prohibit Dr.Lianter Albert and Dr.Natchez Morice,III from being appointed as Deputy Coroners <br /> of St. Mary Parish.However,La.R.S.42:1111C(1)(A)provides that no public servant shall receive <br /> any thing of economic value for any service the subject matter of which is devoted substantially to <br /> the responsibilities, programs, or operations of the agency of the public servant and in which the <br /> public servant has participated. La. R.S. 42:1112B provides that no public servant shall participate <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />