New Orleans
More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of defendants in New Orleans are being set free because of ruined or lost evidence or missing witnesses, The New York Times reported this week. Prosecutors say that as many as 500 defendants have been let off because floodwaters damaged evidence—rusting out guns, for example—while an additional 1,500 cases have been put on hold because defendants who fled the city after the storm haven’t returned. In a typical case, drug and weapons charges against Edward Augustine, 18, were dismissed when prosecutors simply couldn’t find Augustine’s gun or the drugs police say he was carrying. “For every case I’ve walked into lately, there’s been evidence missing,” said Rick Tessier, a defense lawyer.
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