Presented below are all of the Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Reports issued by the Metropolitan Crime Commission since 2007. These reports have tracked the recovery of the court from Hurricane Katrina. Reports show how performance changed over time for the entire court as well as individual members of the judiciary. Due to retirements, more than half of the judiciary has been replaced since 2007, and these reports show how the efficiency of newly elected members of the judiciary compares to their peers.

2016-2017 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (September 17, 2018)

The judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District court maintained efficient felony case processing as the District Attorney’s Office accepted 700 more cases in 2017 compared to 2016.  The report also finds continued disparities in efficiency across different sections of court that result in cases taking more than twice as long to being to conclusion before less efficient judges.
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2015 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (January 10, 2017)

Larger caseloads and increased processing time are attributed to a surge in violent and weapons felony prosecutions. This shift in caseloads signals greater police and prosecutor focus on violent and weapons felonies, which take longer than other cases to conclude. The impact of growing numbers of violent and weapons felonies is that judges averaged a moderate 39-case increase in caseloads and a 13-day increase in median felony case processing times. The report also finds that three sections of court have vastly lower measures of efficiency compared to the remainder of the court. Without these three sections, the court would have met or exceeded nationwide court efficiency performance metrics.
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2014 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (July 1, 2015)

This report finds that the judiciary significantly decreased case processing times to a pace that is close to nationwide standards.  More cases accepted for prosecution by the District Attorney’s Office caused case inventories to increase, and there was a small decrease in the percentage of pending cases open more than one year.  The report also finds a continued disparities in case processing statistics with less efficient judges having significantly larger inventories of pending cases, backlogged cases, and case processing times.
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2013 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jul 27, 2014)

Judges continue to demonstrate wide ranging disparities in the efficiency at which cases are prosecuted across different sections of court. For the court overall, it took less time to bring cases to conclusion and there were fewer pending cases, but the rate of backlogged cases open more than one year increased.
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National Center for State Courts  – Judicial Accountability, Efficiency, and Case Allotment

2012 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Aug 11, 2013)

Analysis of judicial efficiency in 2012 finds a decrease in the numbers of pending cases but a higher rate of backlogged cases remaining open more than one year.  The time that it took to close cases was similar to what was found in 2011.  The report documents wide ranging efficiency measures for different judges as a small segment of the judiciary had larger dockets of pending cases, greater rates of cases remaining open more than one year, and longer case processing times.
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2011 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jul 9, 2012)

This examination of judicial performance in 2011 determines that inventories of pending felony cases were at their highest point since 2007.  Results also determine that the percent of backlogged cases more than one year old increased and it took longer to bring cases to conclusion.  Part of the decline in efficiency measures is attributed to greater numbers of more difficult violent felony cases entering the court system.
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2010 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Aug 18, 2011)

This examination of the 2010 judicial efficiency finds that the judiciary adjusted to a substantial increase in felony cases within Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. Although the number of pending cases increased, there was not a significant increase in the time it took to bring cases to conclusion or backlogged cases more than one year old. The report also identifies wide discrepancies in efficiency across different members of the judiciary.
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ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT JANUARY – JUNE 2010 (Nov 1, 2010)

After several years of improvements in case efficiency statistics, it took longer for cases to close and there were more open cases through the first six months of 2010. Although inventories increased, judges were able to maintain low levels of cases more than one year old. The report also continues to find disparities in individual judge’s individual efficiency measures.
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2009 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jul 21, 2010)

Judicial efficiency continued to improve throughout 2009. The judiciary as a whole reduced the backlog of felony cases more than one year old and decreased the time it took to bring felony cases to conclusion. A review of each judge’s performance reveals that three judges consistently lag behind their peers in measures of efficiency.
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ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT JANUARY – JUNE 2009 (Dec 21, 2009)

In response to the increase in accepted cases during the first half of 2009, the judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court closed more felony cases and reduced the time that it took to bring cases to conclusion. The report also finds persistent and broad disparities between the performance of the most and least efficient judges.  On average, the least efficient judges take more than two times longer to bring cases to conclusion and have inventories of pending cases as much as twice as large as the most efficient judges.
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2008 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Jun 29, 2009)

Orleans Parish Criminal District Court shows ongoing improvements in case processing efficiency in this fourth report since 2007. It took less time to close cases in 2008 compared to 2007, and the court has reduced the backlog of cases more than one year old. The report also finds disparities in judicial performance that indicate some judges have more efficient case management strategies.
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ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT – JANUARY THROUGH JUNE 2008 (Sep 24, 2008)

This third report examining performance of the judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court since January 2007 documents consistent improvements in resolving backlogged criminal cases and reducing the time it takes to close cases. Consistent with previous research, this report also finds some judges have sound case management practices while other judges have adopted procedures that result in a less efficient flow to the criminal justice process.
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2007 ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT (Apr 14, 2008)

The second in a series of reports documenting the performance of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court examines felony case processing throughout 2007. The report finds that some judges are more efficient at bringing felony cases to conclusion and that the court as a whole made significant headway in reducing the post-Katrina backlog of criminal cases.
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ORLEANS PARISH JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT January – June 2007 (Dec 5, 2007)

As part of the Criminal Justice System Accountability Project, the MCC released the first in its series of reports on the Judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. This report examines felony case processing in the first and second quarters of 2007, which reflects judicial performance as the court was beginning to reestablish normal operations after Hurricane Katrina. The report documents wide variations in judicial efficiency, the court’s significantly diminished felony case processing compared to past research, and an increase in the incarceration rate for individuals convicted of felony drug and property crimes.
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