NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- New Orleans officials say they have a plan to get the city's criminal justice system moving and avoid the release of prisoners awaiting trials.
Last week, Judge Arthur Hunter said he would begin freeing criminal defendants on Aug. 29, the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, if nothing was done to reduce the backlog of open cases.
Mayor Ray Nagin revealed the plan at a news conference Monday with District Attorney Eddie Jordan, Police Chief Warren Riley, Criminal Sheriff Marlin Gusman, Chief Public Defender Tilden Greenbaum and Criminal Court Judge Calvin Johnson, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Tuesday.
The plan includes expediting repairs to the courthouse and jail and bringing in four prosecutors from Jefferson Parish to help screen cases.
The Public Defender's Office has one of the worst shortages of staff, with only 26 lawyers currently working. Greenbaum said volunteer lawyers were being trained and the Louisiana Bar Association plans to contribute a coordinator.
Some cases may end up dismissed because witnesses have scattered. But officials say 95 percent of the evidence stored in the flooded basement of police headquarters is recoverable.
