Louisiana Republicans Investigate DA Jason Williams’ Post-Conviction Relief Efforts

New Orleans AP — Four years ago, New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams vowed to address the city’s history of police and prosecutorial misconduct. Now, he’s under investigation by Republican lawmakers who believe he may be overstepping his authority.

Williams, a Black Democrat, replaced a tough-on-crime incumbent in 2020. Since then, he’s focused on correcting what he calls the “sins of the past” in New Orleans and Louisiana, a state with one of the highest incarceration rates in the country. However, conservative officials worry that his actions are putting people convicted of violent crimes back on the streets, especially given the state’s recent rise in homicide rates.

In the past three years, Williams’ office has voided convictions or reduced sentences in several hundred cases using post-conviction relief, which allows the court to review new evidence after all appeals have been exhausted. His civil rights division has reviewed old cases, leading to exonerations and plea-deal releases due to constitutional violations or unjust legal practices. Critics note that previous district attorneys rarely used post-conviction relief.

On September 5, Williams will appear before a state senate committee to discuss his office’s use of post-conviction relief.

A new law passed by a Republican-majority Legislature in August now requires Williams to get approval from the Republican Attorney General before engaging in post-conviction relief. This contrasts with a 2021 law that allowed district attorneys to amend sentences through post-conviction plea agreements with judicial approval, even in cases without clear legal errors.

Since 2021, Williams’ office has voided more than 140 convictions and reduced sentences in at least 180 cases, often re-sentencing individuals to lesser charges.

Conservative lawmakers have raised concerns about transparency in Williams’ office. Attorney General Liz Murrill stated she is closely examining these cases and emphasized that convictions shouldn’t be changed “simply because the district attorney has a difference of opinion” from the courts and Legislature.

Williams is part of a broader movement of progressive prosecutors who seek to reduce incarceration rates and review cases where constitutional violations or excessive sentencing may have occurred. These prosecutors, often elected in liberal cities with large Black populations, have faced significant pushback from ideological opponents at the state level.

The concerns in Louisiana have been amplified by a social media campaign led by Laura Rodrigue, a former prosecutor and daughter of the previous district attorney. Her group, Bayou Mama Bears, claims that Williams is endangering public safety by resentencing or releasing individuals convicted of violent crimes.

Williams denies any misconduct and asserts that his actions are in line with his campaign promises. He emphasizes that his office is responding to community concerns and working to deliver justice.

One focus of Williams’ office has been reviewing non-unanimous jury convictions, which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2020. While the ruling doesn’t automatically apply retroactively, Williams has allowed those convicted before 2020 to apply for post-conviction relief on these grounds.

Louisiana, with one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, is in the process of addressing law enforcement practices rooted in white supremacist history, including non-unanimous jury convictions.

Despite the tension over post-conviction relief, Williams and the Attorney General’s office have collaborated in other areas, such as tackling juvenile crime.