Hurricane Katrina

In the late summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath altered the landscape of New Orleans’ criminal justice system. The LCAC was at the forefront of efforts to locate the thousands of inmates who had been displaced, highlight the plight of the prisoners who had been evacuated to wretched conditions, and secure the release of hundreds of inmates who undeservingly languished in jail. The LCAC hopes to use this opportunity to play a critical part in rebuilding a criminal justice system which has been in disarray for generations.

The Atkins Project

The LCAC is developing an expertise in the litigation of claims pursuant to Atkins v. Virginia, the 2002 U.S. Supreme Court case prohibiting the execution of individuals with mental retardation. The LCAC is willing to consult on Atkins cases, providing assistance in the areas of investigation, expert selection and development, and litigation. The LCAC has developed a motions bank related to the new Louisiana statute, as well as a list of potential experts.

Blackstrikes

The Louisiana Capital Assistance Center (LCAC) works to highlight systemic problems in the application of the death penalty in Louisiana. In 2003, we co-ordinated a study in Jefferson Parish, a suburban community of New Orleans which harbors a dark and shameful culture of racism. The study, Blackstrikes, probed the process of jury selection, when prosecutors and defense attorneys are given the opportunity to select or reject potential jurors for a criminal trial. Our study highlighted the endemic problem of racism in the criminal justice system. Jefferson Parish prosecutors were three times more likely to reject, or strike, an African-American than a white person.

Home Page