A violent weekend leads Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson to pull sheriff’s deputies from their duties at the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
“Criminal District Court was shocked by the news received this evening from Sheriff Susan Hutson that deputies would be removed from the courthouse leaving the court with no security for approximately two weeks. Criminal District Court has several jury trials and other pertinent hearings scheduled this week and next week. We are hoping for a quicker resolution to this matter,” said a Criminal District Court spokesperson.
The deputies were taken off their security duties at Criminal District Court, Orleans Parish Civil District Court, the sheriff’s office training academy, transportation division, and the kitchen warehouse.
The move by Sheriff Susan Hutson comes after an Orleans Parish jail inmate committed suicide Sunday afternoon and a brawl that broke out inside the prison on Friday left several inmates injured and one inmate dead.
“Losing even one life is one too many. A loss of life in Orleans Justice Center will no longer be treated as simply the byproduct of running a jail," Hutson said in a statement to reporters.
The removal of deputies from their courthouse posts forced the courts to close and move trials online.
