New Orleans plans to cut $5.6M from disputed court clerk's office
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New Orleans is preparing to stop funding the Orleans Parish Criminal Court clerk's office as elected officials try to balance the 2027 budget.
Why it matters: The proposal comes as the city awaits word on whether the U.S. Supreme Court will hear its challenge to the state law that eliminated the elected office.
The big picture: The Moreno administration proposes eliminating the Orleans Parish criminal clerk's budget of $5.62 million in 2027.
- The Legislature's argument for eliminating the office was that consolidating it with the civil clerk's office "would save the city money," chief administrative officer Joe Giarrusso said recently.
- Despite the proposed budget cut, Mayor Helena Moreno has been supportive of keeping the office.
Catch up quick: Calvin Duncan, an exonerated Angola inmate, was elected last year as clerk of Orleans Parish criminal court.
- After the election, the Republican-led state Legislature, with the support of Gov. Jeff Landry, passed a bill to eliminate the office.
- City leaders challenged the law in court.
- The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state, saying Duncan is out of a job and Chelsey Richard Napoleon is the rightful clerk of court.
Zoom out: The fight over the clerk's office set off a chain of events that eventually led to AG Liz Murrill's indictment on charges of public intimidation and malfeasance in office.
- Murrill and Landry say they believe Moreno and city officials were involved in the indictment, an allegation Moreno and others deny.
- The state Supreme Court appointed St. Tammany district attorney Collin Sims to investigate the circumstances surrounding the now-dropped charges against Murrill, WDSU reports. That case is separate from Murrill's civil lawsuit.
What we're watching: Where does the city get the money for the criminal court clerk's office if the Supreme Court rules in its favor?
What's next: The council will dig deeper into the numbers Wednesday during the public budget meeting.