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Jason Williams (politician)

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Jason Williams
District Attorney of New Orleans
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2021
Preceded byLeon Cannizzaro
Member of the New Orleans City Council
from the at-large district
In office
March 15, 2014 – January 11, 2021
Preceded byJackie Clarkson
Succeeded byDonna Glapion
Personal details
Born
Jason Rogers Williams

(1972-11-02) November 2, 1972 (age 52)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseElizabeth Marcell
Children3
EducationTulane University (BA, JD)

Jason Rogers Williams (born November 2, 1972) is an American politician and attorney who is the Orleans Parish district attorney; he assumed office in 2021. From 2014 to 2021, Williams served as the Second Division councilmember-at-large on the New Orleans City Council. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and was elected district attorney on a progressive platform.

Williams was charged with multiple counts of federal tax fraud. In 2022, he was acquitted of all charges.

Early life and education

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Williams was born and spent his adolescence in New Orleans.[1] He graduated from Woodward Academy, in College Park, Georgia, and attended Tulane University on a football scholarship, where he was elected class president 4 times. Additionally, he attended Tulane Law School, where he was elected class president 2 times.

Early career

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Shortly after graduating from Tulane Law School, Williams started his own law firm, Jason Rogers Williams & Associates, which he continues to manage. Williams has 3 children.[2] In 2003, he was appointed Pro Tempore at Criminal District Court by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

New Orleans City Council

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Williams (far right) during a New Orleans City Council meeting in August 2018.

Williams is a member of the Democratic Party.[3]

He served as the at-large Division 2 member of the New Orleans City Council from his swearing in on March 15, 2014[4][5] until his resignation on January 11, 2021, to assume his position as district attorney. The seat would remain vacant until January 28, 2021, when Donna Glapion was chosen to fill his seat.[6][7] Williams served as president of the council.[8]

District Attorney of New Orleans

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In 2018, Williams announced he would be a candidate in the 2020 Orleans Parish district attorney election.[9] Williams campaigned on massive reforms to the district attorney's office, which has been plagued with allegations of prosecutorial overreach.[citation needed]

His campaign was characterized as progressive and part of a movement of progressive reforms in district attorney positions around the United States.[10] His policies are in stark contrast to those of his predecessor, Leon Cannizzaro, who held a more traditional "tough on crime" approach as district attorney.

Williams would go on to defeat his opponent Keva Landrum on the December 5th election and assumed office January 11, 2021.[11][12][13]

Following backlash from a sharp rise in 701 release cases[14] and an increase in related crimes such as car jackings,[15] public calls for Williams resignation have been made.[16] Williams did not step down, but called a press conference to address “701 releases,” an article in State Criminal Court that gives defendants the right to a speedy trial.[17]

In 2021, Williams backed out of his campaign promise to not charge minors as adults, despite promising to never do so.[18][19]

In 2023, Williams' office invoked the multiple bill for the first time, despite his campaign promise never to do so. [20][21][22]

Williams endorsed police monitor Susan Hutson for sheriff, against longtime sheriff Marlin Gusman, in 2022.[23] Hutson, a progressive, won.[24]

Williams criticized Dobbs, a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.[25] He indicated his office would not prosecute abortion providers.[26][27]

Tax fraud charges

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In June 2020, during his campaign for district attorney, Williams was charged with 11 counts of federal tax fraud.[28] Williams claimed he was innocent.[28] His trial was set by U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman for January 2022,[29] but it was delayed due to an appeal made to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[30] At trial in July 2022, a jury acquitted Williams of all charges.[31]

Election history

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Orleans Parish District Attorney, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jason Williams 41,562 57.8
Democratic Keva Landrum 30,325 42.2
At-large Division 2 Election, 2017: New Orleans
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jason Williams (Incumbent) 53,339 72.67
Republican David Baird 7,867 10.72
At-large Division 2 election, 2014: New Orleans
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jason Williams 41,143 67.86
Democratic Cynthia Hedge-Morrell 19,488 32.14

References

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  1. ^ "Meet Jason Willilams". Jason Williams District Attorney 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Jason Williams City Council At Large". Jason Williams City Council At Large.
  3. ^ "Jason Williams (Louisiana)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Bio". council.nola.gov.
  5. ^ "Jason Williams". Ballotpedia.
  6. ^ Stein, Michael Isaac (7 January 2021). "What's next for DA-elect Williams' City Council seat?". The Lens. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  7. ^ "MEET THE COUNCIL | AT-LARGE | DONNA GLAPION". council.nola.gov. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  8. ^ JOHN SIMERMAN; GORDON RUSSELL (28 July 2022). "'You come at the king, you best not miss': Jason Williams' acquittal is rare whiff for feds". NOLA.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  9. ^ SIMERMAN, JOHN (23 October 2018). "New Orleans council president Jason Williams 'absolutely' running for DA in 2020, he says". NOLA.com. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  10. ^ Katie Jane Fernelius (April 21, 2021). "In Nation's Incarceration Capital, A New DA Is Freeing People From Prison". The Appeal. Retrieved 2021-10-15.
  11. ^ "Jason Williams wins New Orleans DA race, promising new era in prosecutor's office". 5 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  12. ^ Vidal, Olivia (8 December 2020). "District Attorney-elect Jason Williams speaks after winning election". www.fox8live.com. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Jason Williams (Louisiana)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Release of nearly 150 ordered from N.O. Jail since last January after charges not filed in time". 4 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Carjackings almost triple in New Orleans compared to this time last year". 19 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Petition calls for the resignation of Orleans DA Jason Williams". 12 February 2022.
  17. ^ "'We are owning it': Major leadership shake up at DA's office, apology for handling of 701 cases". 11 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Why Jason Williams' move to charge juveniles as adults in killing is angering some groups". 30 May 2021.
  19. ^ </https://thelensnola.org/2021/05/24/da-jason-williams-announces-decision-to-prosecute-two-teenagers-as-adults-going-back-on-campaign-promise/ref>
  20. ^ "DA Jason Williams' office invokes habitual offender statute for the first time". 16 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Jason Williams has vowed never to use the habitual offender statute. What does that mean for criminal justice in New Orleans?". 5 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Orleans DA invokes habitual offender law; applies it to 1st case". 16 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Sheriff candidate Susan Hutson gets key endorsement from New Orleans DA Jason Williams". WWNO. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Susan Hutson defeats long-time Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman". WWL. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  25. ^ Vidal, Olivia (25 June 2022). "DA Jason Williams says he won't investigate abortion cases, other city leaders react to SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade". fox8live.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  26. ^ Staff report (24 June 2022). "New Orleans DA Jason Williams says he won't 'shift priorities' to prosecute abortion-related cases". NOLA.com. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  27. ^ Kyla Guilfoil (July 26, 2022). "City leaders push for abortion access despite state bans". ABC News. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  28. ^ a b JOHN SIMERMAN (28 October 2020). "As Jason Williams' tax trial looms, specter of conviction hangs over Orleans Parish DA race". NOLA.com. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  29. ^ John Simerman (July 21, 2021). "Tax fraud trial for New Orleans DA Jason Williams delayed until 2022". The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  30. ^ Team, WDSU Digital (21 January 2022). "Trial for Orleans Parish DA Jason Williams delayed". WDSU. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Not Guilty: Jury clears DA Jason Williams on all counts in tax fraud trial". wwltv.com. July 28, 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
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