(The Center Square) − Court records reviewed by The Center Square show a pattern in which defendants in Orleans Parish initially facing multiple felony weapons charges have had the vast majority of those charges dismissed, often as part of plea deals that result in minimal jail time and little long-term supervision.
Meanwhile, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office, led by District Attorney Jason Williams, revealed last week that they have refused nearly 40% of felony cases in the last year.
Take the case of Tyrone Howard, for instance. Arrested in September 2023 and charged with eight counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, along with illegal weapons possession and drug charges, Howard was facing a potential years-long sentence if convicted on all counts.
Instead, prosecutors agreed to drop all the firearm charges. The only conviction that remained was for marijuana possession — less than14 grams — a misdemeanor offense for which Howard received credit for time served. Howard was released.
Similar outcomes were seen for five other defendants arrested in the same six-person case, including Ireion Allen and Jeremiah Williams, both of whom faced nine counts of firearm possession by a felon. Each ultimately pleaded guilty to a single low-level offense — disturbing the peace in Allen’s case, criminal trespassing in Williams’ — with the more serious weapons charges dropped in full.
Just two weeks ago Jeremiah Williams was indicted for second degree murder, as well as possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon.
For Malik Hill, another defendant in the multi-person case, it wasn’t the first time he’d gotten off easy in Orleans Parish. In 2022, Hill was booked on possession of stolen goods worth $25,000 or more. The DA declined to prosecute the felony charge before a formal bill of information or indictment was filed.
For the six-person case, only six low-level convictions were secured — five for misdemeanor drug or paraphernalia charges and one for disturbing the peace. Prosecutors declined to prosecute 49 felony charges, including all 48 counts of felon-in-possession of a firearm.
In each instance, the court issued standard firearm prohibition orders and noted credit for time already served, which, in some cases, amounted to just a few months in custody.
The OPDA’s charitable dealings with felons is a well documented theme of his administration.
“When violent crime victims and witnesses see their felony cases end in refused charges, dismissed from court, or with misdemeanor convictions, they will share their experiences with friends and neighbors who will be less likely to cooperate with law enforcement in the future,” the Metropolitan Crime Commission wrote in a 2024 report.
An earlier report in 2021 by the MCC found that the acceptance rate for violent felonies fell to 54%, down from 75% in 2020.
The MCC found in 2024 that District Attorney Jason Williams dismissed 1,859 open felony prosecutions during his first year in office — cases in which suspects were arrested and formally charged, only to later be dropped without a conviction.
Of those dismissed in 2021, 25% were rearrested on new felony charges by the end of 2023, according to the report, which attributes 457 rearrests to the group.
The study also highlights a steep drop in the felony arrest-to-conviction rate, which fell from 44% in 2019 under former DA Leon Cannizzaro to 20% in 2022 under Williams.
Despite the more lenient attitudes toward such cases, crime rates in New Orleans are down significantly.
According to data released by the New Orleans Police Department, murders are down by more than half and fatal shootings dropped nearly 30% compared to last year.
During a May 6 press conference, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick credited the department’s crime prevention strategies and interagency cooperation for the progress, highlighting a 20% overall reduction in violent crimes, including murders, shootings, robberies, rapes, and assaults.
“We’re not just talking about fewer crimes — we’re talking about fewer victims,” Kirkpatrick said.
