They sat in the first two rows, their eyes fixed on former New Orleans police Lt. Michael Lohman.



For more than 30 minutes, the allegations against Lohman were recited over and over: a planted gun, false reports, misleading statements, a cover-up and conspiracy.



The Madison and Bartholomew families, formerly strangers to each other but now tied by a fateful police shooting in the days after Hurricane Katrina, didn't flinch. They didn't say anything.



Susan Bartholomew sat there, absent part of her arm. It has been gone since that day, a casualty of bullets from an officer's weapon. Nearby, Jacquelyn Madison Brown watched in silence, surely missing her brother Ronald Madison, who was fatally shot in the back. Jose Holmes Jr., thin, young, wide-eyed, was there too. He flew to New Orleans to be here for this moment.



U.S. District Court Judge Ivan Lemelle asked Lohman a raft of questions. Did he understand the charge of conspiring to obstruct justice? Has he agreed to cooperate with the federal government going forward?



Over and over, Lohman, a well-respected police supervisor, replied with a simple, "Yes, sir."



The families, in business suits and formal attire, waited.



They heard that Lohman, with his guilty plea, faces up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release, as well as a $250,000 fine.



Prosecutor Bobbi Bernstein, deputy chief of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, outlined the allegations Lohman was confessing to. Bernstein said Lohman arrived at the Danziger Bridge on Sept 4, 2005, and soon learned that there had been a "bad shoot," an unjustified police shooting. Ronald Madison, 40, and James Brissette, 19, lay dead. Four other civilians had been wounded.



Lohman had conspired with the officers, coached statements, attempted to help with a cover story explaining the circumstances. He also made sure another officer planted a "clean" handgun at the scene, meaning it couldn't be traced back to a crime. That handgun would help bolster police story that officers were under fire from civilians and acted in self-defense.





At one point, Lohman was so frustrated with the quality of the cover-up story in a police report written by another sergeant that he personally drafted a 17-page report filled with false statements. Later, Lohman lied to the FBI.

Judge Lemelle asked from the bench: "Is all of that correct, Mr. Lohman?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, his voice soft, steady.

At the end of the proceeding, Lemelle ordered Lohman to return to federal court on May 26 for his sentencing. He also ordered him to refrain from talking to other witnesses or co-conspirators, to remain in the area and stay out of trouble, and honor the guidelines of his $50,000 bond.

"This is already a sad enough situation," Lemelle said.

With that, the families shuffled out from the courtroom and out of the courthouse. For them, this was the first day of vindication.

"This is monumental," said attorney Gary Bizal, who represents Jose Holmes. Holmes, 23, sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and torso, and carried a colostomy bag with him for several years. Police had accused him of firing at officers.

Bizal marveled at the allegations, calling them similar to a Hollywood script. Holmes hadn't said much, Bizal said, other than to offer a wide smile.

For years, the official account was that a gunfight took place and police responded properly.

"It was a relief for us to see," said Romell Madison, Ronald's brother. "We have some sort of closure. The citizens of New Orleans should be relieved that there is still justice."



His mentally disabled brother Ronald was shot several yards away from Romell Madison's dental office.



Lance Madison, who heard the guilty plea firsthand Wednesday, had guns pointed as his head and his hands cuffed that day on the bridge. He was booked with eight counts of attempted murder, though those charges were later rejected by a state grand jury.



On Wednesday he heard the first confirmation from the government that the police investigation had been corrupt.



"It's been a long struggle for them," said Mary Howell, the family's attorney. "They are taking it one day at a time. And there's still a long way to go."



Staff writer Katy Reckdahl contributed to this report. Brendan McCarthy can be reached at bmccarthy@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3301.



