Brass Scales of Justice over white

The former New Iberia Police Department officer charged with domestic abuse battery and false imprisonment was released after a Friday morning hearing in the 16th Judicial District Court, where a judge ruled there was no probable cause for the charges.

Richard Geiger, who was one of more than 60 police officers hired by the NIPD, was arrested last week by the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office. He subsequently resigned from the police department only days before it took over law enforcement services for the city of New Iberia. 

Friday’s hearing was taken up as a requirement of Gwen’s Law, a law enacted in 2014 that requires a defendant who is coming up for a first appearance and charged with a felony against a family or household member to have a contradictory hearing within five days. 

Judge Lewis Pitman presided over the hearing. 

According to the minutes of that hearing, Pitman ruled there was no probable cause for the six counts of domestic abuse battery and child endangerment charges, and also no probable cause for the false imprisonment armed with dangerous weapon charge. 

Geiger was ordered to be released that day, and no order of protection was filed. The decision came after the judge heard from Geiger’s wife and an affidavit filed by the state into evidence.