A bill reducing the number of New Orleans criminal court judges from 13 to nine is one step closer to becoming law.
The Louisiana House of Representatives approved that bill yesterday, and the Senate is expected to send the bill to Governor Jeff Landry's desk after it green lights two technical amendments.
One New Orleans court watchdog says this bill will do more to harm the New Orleans criminal justice system than help it.
"The only thing that's going to happen from that is it's going to take longer," Metropolitan Crime Commission head Rafael Goyeneche said, alluding to case backlogs he believes the court will face because fewer judges will have to take on the same amount of cases currently facing the Orleans Parish Criminal Court.
According to Goyeneche, taxpayers will be left to foot the bill resulting from the court's contraction. Those costs, Goyeneche said, will result from the parish having to house suspects awaiting trial and to pay other parishes to house those suspects when the Orleans Parish Jail becomes overcrowded.
"Justice delayed means it's going to cost the city more money," Goyeneche said. "It's going to create a logistical nightmare for the New Orleans criminal justice system, and the city is going to be left holding the bag financially."
Goyeneche says the legislature took a "ready, shoot, aim" approach to the bill.
"The Morris bill . . . originally called for a two-year study of Criminal District Court before any judgeships were eliminated," Goyeneche said, adding that the lawmakers ignored recommendations from the Louisiana Supreme Court and the National Center for State Courts to study the issue before making a decision. "If you're reducing four judges from that bench, you're looking at the same number of cases being processed through four fewer judges.
Goyeneche worries politics will lead to delayed justice in New Orleans. He says he hopes lawmakers will reverse course, but he said he's not holding his breath.
"I'm hoping that reason will allow for a last-minute reconsideration that wouldn't make the cuts as deep as the legislature is proposing to do."
Supporters say the bill is about efficiency and bringing New Orleans in line with its shrinking population and the number of judges in other parishes.
