With the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court set to absorb a seismic shift with the loss of three of its 12 felony judges in a few months, a new report from a criminal justice watchdog shows the court has been managing well with higher caseloads.
The Metropolitan Crime Commission found that the court’s judges kept pace with an increased workload over the past two years while reducing a backlog of longstanding cases.
Though crime is down in New Orleans, the independent organization attributed the rise in cases to better police investigations, leading District Attorney Jason Williams’ office to formally charge more suspects…