Judge Rejects Bid For New Trial In Katrina Case

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge has rejected defense attorneys' claims that a video shot at the scene of deadly shootings on a New Orleans bridge after Hurricane Katrina reveals new evidence warranting a new trial for five former police officers.

In his ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt said the footage shot of the Danziger Bridge by a CBS affiliate in Miami is "far from determinative" that a government witness lied during the officers' trial.

Defense attorneys argued the video refutes testimony that Sgt. Kenneth Bowen kicked shell casings off the walkway before crime scene technicians could process the scene.

Engelhardt hasn't ruled on a separate request for a new trial based on claims that prosecutors engaged in a "secret public relations campaign" that inflamed public opinion against the officers.