(AP) -- The district attorney's office in New Orleans has so far paid out $70,000 to settle with plaintiffs in a 2017 lawsuit over hardball prosecutorial tactics.
The lawsuit filed by civil liberties advocates said District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's staff used phony “subpoenas” and improperly used threats of jail to coerce reluctant crime victims to provide information.
Cannizzaro said the use of the fake subpoenas was halted after they were exposed by a New Orleans news outlet.
He has said the use of “material witness” warrants to jail uncooperative victims was rare in domestic violence or sexual assault cases, but sometimes necessary to prosecute dangerous criminals.