NEW ORLEANS – Today, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office (OPDA) announced that 185 convictions were secured via guilty plea in the month of June 2022. The guilty pleas secured included a number of violent offenses, such as domestic abuse, illegal possession of weapons, kidnapping, manslaughter, theft, and sexual assault.
District Attorney Jason Williams said, “The DA’s Office is committed to using every tool in our arsenal to hold those who commit violent offenses accountable. The goal, as always, is increasing safety and delivering justice for the people of New Orleans. The 185 convictions we secured last month is a testament to our unwavering commitment to that mission.”
Thus far in 2022, the DA’s Office has secured a total of 1,416 convictions via guilty plea. Last year, despite court closures, OPDA secured over 3,500 convictions via guilty plea in over 1,700 cases. Our office is laser-focused on prosecuting violent crimes committed in our neighborhoods.
The guilty pleas secured in 2022 complement the success of DA Williams and OPDA prosecutors to secure convictions via jury trial since the resumption of jury trials in March. When cases come to OPDA with sufficient evidence, the District Attorney’s Office has vigorously fought for victims of violent crimes. Guilty jury trial verdicts secured since March include:
DESPITE SUCCESS BY PROSECUTORS IN COURT, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE STILL NEEDED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THIS CRIME SURGE AND TO HELP INCREASE SAFETY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
Since November 2021, the DA’s Office has argued that as the caseload increases due to the crime surge and COVID-19 backlog, OPDA is in need of additional staff, funding, and resources. District Attorney Williams continues to double down on his request to the New Orleans City Council and Mayor LaToya Cantrell to fund our requests for additional lawyers, more DNA testing analysts, and Cold Case funding, among other needs, to improve OPDA’s capacity and help prosecutors build stronger cases.
The City of New Orleans has millions of dollars from the federal government that are earmarked for this exact need that are not being spent. The District Attorney’s Office needs immediate action to hire more people to handle this increased workload.
“We are prosecutors. Trying cases in front of a jury is what we do, so we are excited to be back in court presenting cases with strong evidence in pursuit of justice and increased safety. However, we are faced with some of the most unprecedented challenges this office has ever seen. From an increased case load to a large DNA backlog, our office needs support and resources from City leadership,” said District Attorney Williams. “These times are absolutely the most challenging we’ve faced in recent history, but we are holding those who commit violent offenses accountable and securing justice for the victims and families. This office will be steadfast in restoring trust in our criminal legal system by securing convictions in the most difficult cases as well as addressing decades of indifference to the concerns of the community.”
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