Study: More New Orleans' Felony Cases Go To Court

T-P:

The number of felony cases accepted for prosecution by the Orleans Parish district attorney grew by 63 percent from the first part of the year to the last quarter of 2007, perhaps evidence of an improved working relationship between prosecutors and the New Orleans Police Department, the Metropolitan Crime Commission concluded in a report to be released today.

The study is the third report issued by the Crime Commission looking at 2007 arrests made by police and cases prosecuted in court, tracking the performance of a criminal justice system still rebounding from Hurricane Katrina.

While the group saw improvement in the number of people who will be prosecuted for felonies at Criminal District Court and an increased conviction rate, it still identified areas that call out for policy changes by police and prosecutors, said Rafael Goyeneche, president of the commission.