New Orleans D.A. resigns under fire

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- New Orleans District Attorney Eddie Jordan, facing a $3.7 million judgment for firing white employees, has resigned after five years in office.

Jordan announced he was stepping down at a news conference Tuesday with Mayor Ray Nagin, The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported. Keva Landrum-Johnson, who has been with the office for a decade, was named acting district attorney for Orleans Parish.

A former U.S. attorney, Jordan was best known before he became district attorney for convicting Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards on corruption charges.

The lawsuit against Jordan stemmed from mass firings at the beginning of his tenure, with 53 of 56 dismissed employees white and 92 percent of 68 new hires black. A federal jury found that 42 white employees and one Hispanic had been dismissed because of their race.

Who will pay the judgment remains unclear. Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal have both said the state will not provide the money.

Jordan said he resigned partly to protect his office from seizure of its assets.