POLITICS AND CRIMINAL PROSECUTION IN NEW ORLEANS (FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE - LAW AND POLITICS, 1972, BY G F COLE SEE NCJ-25794)

• NCJ Number: 25802
• Author(s): H JACOB
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Wadsworth Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A STUDY OF TWO DISTRICT ATTORNEYS' - ONE A 'REFORM' CANDIDATE, THE OTHER A 'MACHINE' CANDIDATE - TO SEE IF THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THEIR PROSECUTORIAL PRACTICES AND EFFICIENCY.

Abstract

THE ELECTION OF TWO DIFFERENT MEN TO THE OFFICE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY APPEARED TO MAKE SOME DIFFERENCE IN THE TREATMENT OF CRIMINAL CASES. THE MACHINE CANDIDATE'S HANDLING OF CASES WAS HARSHER THAN THE REFORM CANDIDATE'S PARTICULARLY WHEN NEGROES WERE INVOLVED. MOREOVER, NEGRO VOTER REGISTRATION WHEN IT REACHED SIGNIFICANT PROPORTIONS IN SOME WARDS APPEARED TO AFFORD SOME MEASURE OF PROTECTION TO NEGRO DEFENDANTS COMING FROM THOSE WARDS. HOWEVER, ELECTIONS AND WARD ORGANIZATION MADE FAR LESS DIFFERENCE IN THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION PROCESS THAN WE EXPECTED. THE TWO DISTRICT ATTORNEYS DID NOT HANDLE GAMBLING OR PROSTITUTION CASES MARKEDLY DIFFERENTLY EVEN THOUGH ONE WAS A 'REFORM' CANDIDATE AND THE OTHER A 'MACHINE' CANDIDATE. NOR DID THE PRESENCE OF WARD ORGANIZATIONS SEEM TO AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF CRIMINAL CASES. FINALLY, BOTH DISTRICT ATTORNEYS HANDLED THEIR OFFICE WITH ABOUT THE SAME SPEED AND WON A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF CONVICTIONS OF CASES WHICH WENT TO TRIAL. ALTHOUGH POLICY REGARDING CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IS OFTEN AT THE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS ELECTION CAMPAIGNS AND THOUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS FOUGHT OVER HEATEDLY AT EACH ELECTION, THE POLITICAL ARENA IMPINGES ON THE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION PROCESS LESS DIRECTLY THAN EXPECTED. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS SENSITIVE TO COMMUNITY TENSIONS, AS ITS TREATMENT OF NEGROES SINCE 1954 SUGGESTS. LIKEWISE, IT MAKES SOME - THOUGH NOT A GREAT DEAL - OF DIFFERENCE WHETHER ONE MAN OR ANOTHER HOLDS THE OFFICE. WHAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SHOW ARE THE PATHS BY WHICH POLITICAL INFLUENCE IS CHANNELED AND THE BARRIERS WHICH IMPEDE SUCH INFLUENCE UNDER SPECIFIED CONDITIONS. THAT, AS WELL AS A MORE GENERALIZED ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF POLITICS ON CRIMINAL PROSECUTION MUST AWAIT FURTHER RESEARCH. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)