The nominee to head up federal prosecutions in New Orleans under the Trump administration is a veteran attorney from Jefferson Parish who's no stranger to federal court. In fact, he has cases before the federal bench that are still active.
"David Courcelle seems to pop up in many of the high-profile cases that we've seen over the last decade," said Loyola law professor Dane Ciolino.
Ciolino said that's not out of the ordinary, since prominent criminal lawyers often get tapped for the job of U.S. Attorney.
Courcelle represents Fouad Zeton, a businessman the feds have been investigating as part of a larger case surrounding New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. He also has a client in the "staged traffic crashes" investigation.
So, how would it affect these cases should he be confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney?
"Any pending case certainly will result in a continuance so that the defendant can get substitute counsel," Ciolino explained.
Courcelle would also have to recuse himself and turn the cases over to the First Assistant U.S. Attorney.