Jason Williams will be next Orleans Parish DA
Williams defeated Keva Landrum in Saturday's election. He has pledged to end the policies of mass incarceration in the city.
Category
Criminal Justice
Asking why and how, and what needs to be done.
Orleans DA candidates say they will review all old non-unanimous verdicts regardless of upcoming Supreme Court ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could overturn at least 1,500 split jury verdicts in Louisiana. But in Orleans Parish, hundreds convicted by a 10-2 jury may not have to rely on a court ruling, under pledges from Williams, Landrum.
Public defenders to stop in-person appearances at Municipal Court due to reported COVID-19 outbreak
At least one court staff member and one attorney with the public defenders office have tested positive.
With increased city funding, public defenders avoid ‘worst possible outcome,’ but not out of the woods yet, chief defender says
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.
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
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.
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.’
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.
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.
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.
