New Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro today announced layoffs of 56 non-attorney employees. The office cited budget shortfalls exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We had no alternative but to take this drastic action in response to an estimated $700,000 shortfall to our budget," Cannizzaro said. "All of those affected are hard-working public servants dedicated to our mission of bringing justice to crime victims, holding criminals accountable and improving public safety in our city. Our thoughts are with them and we certainly hope to have them back later this year, helping our citizens and providing for their families."
The laid-off employees are paid through budget portion that comes from the city of New Orleans. The 60 attorneys on staff are paid mainly through state funds, according to the district attorney's office.
"We cannot ignore this significant hole in our annual operating budget, so we have taken the only responsible, proactive course we could," Cannizzaro said. "We have pleaded with the City for years that we are the most underfunded large DA's office in the state. Now, we're no longer large, though eventually our caseload will be again."