NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Bills to consolidate Orleans Parish courts and reduce the number of judges could have “dire consequences,” according to a report released by the Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR).
BGR is raising concerns about risks to public safety, potential violations of constitutional rights and rising costs of justice if HB 911, by Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, and SB 217, by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, become law, as currently written.
“It is possible that we may not need as many judgeships as we have,” said Rebecca Mowbray, president and chief executive officer of BGR. “However, the Legislature is moving forward on this without doing the proper analysis of the case, and that could lead to dire consequences for our community.”…