NEW ORLEANS — The Orleans District Attorney’s Office and DA Jason Williams have caught the attention of Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe.
Morris chairs the Louisiana Senate Judiciary C Committee which hears matters dealing with criminal justice and public safety.
“About the middle of last week, I started getting a couple of texts and calls from people who had the concern that there were an inordinate number of inmates who had been convicted in New Orleans that were being released,” Morris said.
According to Morris, in recent months there were 157 New Orleans inmates released as a result of resentencing agreements and post-conviction relief.
He admits many of these releases could have been for legitimate reasons such as an inmate completing the sentence, but he also says many cases raise concerns.
“Murder, attempted murder, maybe some rapes, armed robbery was a big one. So, we’re going through the list,” Morris said.
One list obtained by WWL Louisiana showed dozens of cases taken up since March.
A new law went into effect on August 1, giving the state attorney general the power to appeal resentencing.
“The concern that has been expressed to me is that they were trying to get all this done under the wire, so to speak,” Morris said.
Governor Jeff Landry expressed support for Sen Morris’s Judiciary Committee investigation.
He noted a potential disparity with post-conviction relief.
Landry wrote, “The law on this issue should be applied equally and fairly for both defendants and victims in every parish.”
The committee hearing is tentatively set for September 5, at the state capital.
Sen. Morris is hoping DA Williams will participate without having to subpoena him to appear.
We reached out numerous times, seeking comments for this story from DA Williams and his office.
None of our many calls, text messages, or emails were answered.
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