A last-minute budget amendment will help the office hire outside attorneys to handle some cases. But lower ticket and fee revenues — and a growing backlog from COVID-19 court closures — are still causing problems.
Category: Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
Public defenders to receive more city funding than ever before — but not quite the ‘parity’ with DA as promised by City Council
The budget passed Thursday increased the public defenders allocation from the city by $1.8 million more than the mayor originally proposed
Posted inCriminal Justice
Report: 80 percent of people still in prison on non-unanimous jury verdicts are Black
US Supreme Court found non-unanimous verdicts unconstitutional this year, but 1,500 prisoners await ruling on retroactivity.
Posted inCriminal Justice
New Orleans Police Department using facial recognition despite years of denial
Explaining its previous denials, the department said that it doesn’t employ its own facial recognition software. Instead, it accesses the technology through state and federal partners. An ACLU lawyer said that was a ‘distinction without a difference.’
Posted inNews
NOPD presents budget to City Council, as activists continue calls to defund
The police department is facing a cut next year, but it’s relatively modest compared to other departments.
Posted inCriminal Justice
In city budget hearing, council members say they want public defender funding closer to DA, but it’s unclear where they’ll find the money
An August ordinance calls for the defenders to be funded at 85 percent of the DA’s Office. Cantrell ignored it in her budget proposal. One council member floated the idea of cutting the DA’s budget.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Juveniles in adult jail may be obstacle to city’s bid to scrap Phase III facility
With a decision on the proposed new jail building in the balance and a larger juvenile jail available, Cantrell administration reverses tough stance on placing youths in Orleans Justice Center.
Posted inCriminal Justice
DA candidates Landrum, Williams advance to December runoff election
Landrum led most of the night. The contest came down to whether Williams or former Judge Arthur Hunter would face her in December.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Mayor’s proposed budget ignores ordinance mandating equitable funding for public defenders and DA’s office
The proposed budget ordinance funds the public defenders at 28 percent of the DA’s office, and would override the ordinance mandating 85 percent funding passed in August.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Money bail a central issue in race for New Orleans magistrate judge
Juana Marine Lombard and Steve Singer are competing for the seat in the Nov. 3 election.