NEW ORLEANS— It’s the 11th hour and both candidates in the race for Orleans District Attorney are spending time pressing the flesh and getting their message to voters.
Keva Landrum touts her experience, “I have been the chief administrator of this office before and more importantly, I have I have held the hands of victims and family members who’ve been affected by violent crime.”
And while he hasn’t sat in the seat before, Jason Williams believes in radical change for the office.
“I fundamentally believe that the criminal legal system in this country and in this city is racist and sexist and we have to make it anti-racist and anti-sexist. I want to redesign the culture. The culture of the office is win at all costs. I want to redesign that to justice for victims being the goal. Public safety being the goal,” said Williams.
Landrum also added another goal for the office, “To let the public know that we’re an office that operates with integrity, with accountability and so people can trust the work that we do.”
Of course the elephant in the room is the federal tax indictment of Williams and Landrum says the city deserves a district attorney that is laser-focused.
According to Landrum, “(We need)one that is not distracted and one that is not operating under a cloud of uncertainty.”
Williams maintains his innocence and that the tax charges are politically motivated, “I am on the wrong side of Donald Trump, just like I’m on the strong side of Leon Cannizaro and it is his justice department that is coming after me.”