His office has told us it doesn’t know how often they were used, and it’s too hard to look.
Category: Criminal Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice
Orleans Parish DA sued over refusal to turn over witness subpoenas, real and fake
The DA told the MacArthur Justice Center so-called “DA subpoenas” could be found in court records. The fake ones aren’t there.
Posted inCriminal Justice
DA can’t say how often fake subpoenas were used, and it’s too hard to look
In rejecting a public-records request from The Lens, the district attorney’s office said it was too burdensome.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Will prosecutors who sent fake subpoenas face any consequences?
The possibilities include disciplinary action, federal charges, and nothing at all.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Remembering Deb Cotton: New Orleans must hold leaders accountable for violence prevention
She died Tuesday. Here’s the column she wrote while she was still hospitalized from her injuries in the Mother’s Day second-line shooting in 2013.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Woman who got fake subpoena from Orleans DA says she was threatened with jail twice
One of the threats came after her lawyer asked a judge to throw out the notice.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Jefferson Parish prosecutors used fake subpoenas similar to those in New Orleans
Criticism of the Orleans Parish DA’s office grew Thursday after a Lens investigation into the practice.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Rampant use and abuse of ‘solitary confinement’ key to what ails Louisiana prisons
Vera Institute study offers hope for change
Posted inCriminal Justice, Investigations
Orleans Parish prosecutors are using fake subpoenas to pressure witnesses to talk to them
The DA’s office is sending notices labeled “subpoena” to witnesses, threatening jail time if the person ignores them. But they’re not real subpoenas. An assistant district attorney says they’re meant to persuade people who may ignore a simple letter.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Standing tall on the front lines of justice in an unjust system
Jailed for months without trial, ‘James’ is rescued by Public Defenders.