New Orleans, LA - Budget constraints are a major concern for the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office.
On Wednesday, D.A. Leon Cannizzaro appeared before a Criminal Justice Committee meeting at New Orleans City Hall, to address some of those concerns.
The office is facing a 3.8 percent mid-year budget cut. The cut, recently announced by the Landrieu administration, is an effort to make up for a multi-million dollar revenue shortfall. Other city departments are also facing cuts. But Cannizzaro says he's been concerned about his budget, long before this latest cut was announced.
87 percent of the city money that goes to the District Attorney's office is set aside for personnel costs. That leaves little money left for other expenses. City Councilwoman Stacy Head says there's really no where else the office can make cuts; they're already operating on a bare bones basis.
Besides personnel costs, about $60,000 funds the diversion program, which helps counsel many first time offenders. The program is an alternative to sending them to jail. But that money could soon be gone because of the mid-year budget cuts.
Another program that could be affected is the victim witness assistance program. Counselors are sent to crime scenes to help victims and their relatives. Cannizzaro says it's an extremely important service; one that he doesn't want to do without.
Cannizzaro says his office and attorneys continue to do more with less. So far this year, they've obtained convictions on 80 percent of the cases they've brought to trial. It's just one of the reasons Cannizzaro says it's critical that funding to his office, not be cut.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro
