In New Orleans, the city’s budget was strained after dealing with the October collapse of the Hard Rock hotel and a December cyberattack on the city’s computer systems. But a coronavirus-fueled knockout to the tourism industry has Mayor LaToya Cantrell considering layoffs and furloughs of city workers.
The pandemic also has threatened the criminal justice system. Public defense is largely funded through court fees and fines, traffic tickets and seat-belt violations. That money has all but disappeared as the city has temporarily stopped pursuing such cases. If nothing is done to replace the missing revenue, New Orleans Chief Public Defender Derwyn Bunton said he will be forced to make "hard choices" as early as May.
“We were in financial crisis in the best of days,” said Bunton, who has begun reaching out to state and federal officials seeking additional funding. “You zero us out and what looks like a crippled criminal legal system will soon not look like a criminal legal system at all."
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