Orleans DA in Federal Court

The Times-Picayune reports on yesterday's opening arguments in a case filed by former employees of the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office against District Attorney Eddie Jordan. The plaintiffs claim that DA Jordan was improperly motivated by race when he fired 44 workers when taking office in January 2003.

"While it may be OK for a new DA, or a new sheriff, to come in and clean house, you can't clean house with all of one race," said Clement Donelon, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, during opening arguments in the case. "You can't fire all the white people to hire your friends and all the black people."

The trial is before US Eastern District Judge Stanwood Duval and is expected to last four weeks.

Posted by AJR at March 9, 2005 07:39 AM