Treat all victims with respect and sensitivity
Current District Attorney Cannizzaro has failed to prioritize the real needs of victims. The response to violence should be centered on the needs of survivors, based on accountability, and developed in consultation with victim advocates and experts.
Never jail rape or domestic abuse survivors
DA Cannizzaro has refused to end his grievous practice of jailing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as a means of forcing them to testify. As progressive prosecutors in major American cities have started using their power to repair their communities, it is profoundly troubling that our current DA is hell-bent on these types of regressive policies. Such actions have a chilling effect on current and future victims and witnesses.
These policies, in some instances, have caused the survivors to spend more time in jail than the actual perpetrators. The idea that a prosecutor would jail victims of violence and sexual assault is misogynistic, barbaric, and despicable. Frankly, it is embarrassing to have this issue play out on the national stage, receiving strong rebukes from Democrats and Republicans alike all across the nation.
Record of Reform: Councilman seeks to condemn Orleans DA for jailing crime victims | Crime/Police | nola.com
Record of Reform: Council President Releases Statement on Practices of District Attorney Cannizzaro