The recent WWLTV story highlighting racial hate speech by a former assistant district attorney while he was a prosecutor in New Orleans is shocking and deeply troubling. It is concerning both for our clients and the larger community who are asked to put their faith and trust in prosecutors to serve the community and deliver justice. We are disturbed so many New Orleanians’ lives were in the hands of someone demonstrating racial animus.
In Louisiana, prosecutors have near total discretion to decide who, what, where, when, and how to prosecute. Prosecutors have immense power over people’s lives. The use of racial epithets and hate speech is unacceptable, but particularly when it raises questions about how such power is exercised. Our community deserves better.
