A New Orleans judge has accused the Orleans Parish sheriff of being in contempt of court for allegedly ignoring a court order to transport inmates from the jail to the magistrate court.
Sheriff Susan Hutson is accused of not transporting inmates to court on weekends and holidays.
Criminal District Chief Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier said Hutson is not complying with the order, which was issued on June 18, to resume weekend and holiday transports starting this past Saturday.
During the pandemic, the process of transporting arrestees was paused, shifting to Zoom and then to transports during the week. Now, Judge Flemings-Davillier has ordered Hutson to appear before a judge tomorrow to address the issue.
This is not the first time Hutson has been held in contempt for inmate transfers. She cited staffing shortages for transports back in 2022 as to why inmates could not get to court for hearings.
Sheriff Hutson issued the following statement in response to the judge’s order:
“The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has not ignored any court order regarding weekend and holiday court transport. In fact, we have actively engaged with the courts to explain the serious financial and staffing impacts associated with resuming purely discretionary in-person weekend proceedings at the criminal courthouse.
“Unfortunately, our legal team was not given the opportunity to file for a stay last Friday to fully outline these challenges again before contempt proceedings were raised. We want to be clear: the issue is not a matter of willingness; it’s a matter of operational feasibility. Weekend and holiday in-person court proceedings require OPSO to provide staffing not only for inmate transport but also for Criminal District Court building security and courtroom security, in line with public transparency and legal requirements.
“Meeting these obligations would require a minimum of 12 deputies per day and would increase OPSO’s annual budget by over $357,000. This amount is not currently accounted for within our already strained resources.
“To address this challenge, we have proactively offered an alternative: hosting weekend and holiday court sessions on the first floor of the jail, as has been done in the past. This solution would ensure in-person judicial proceedings while mitigating staffing and security burdens. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the courts to find a responsible and lawful path forward that honors both public access and public safety.”
“ON BACKGROUND:
“A minimum of 12 deputies per operational day will be required to conduct full in-person weekend proceedings at the criminal courthouse. Below is the breakdown.
- 1 Supervisor
- 3 Deputies assigned to courtroom security
- 4 Deputies for building entry/exit points and hallway monitoring
- 2 Deputies for inmate transportation
- 2 Deputies assigned to the Docks (temporary holding area)
READ MORE:New Orleans judge orders Sheriff Susan Hutson to court over inmate transports
