NEW ORLEANS - The legal tussle over the costs of overhauling the New Orleans jail is about to resume in a federal courtroom, where lawyers are expected to press the case that the sheriff doesn’t need more money from the city to implement court-ordered improvements aimed at ending violence, poor security and inadequate health care.
A hearing set for Wednesday in U.S. District Judge Lance Africk’s courtroom is a continuation of proceedings last month during which the city’s lawyer in the case, Harry Rosenberg, questioned Sheriff Marlin Gusman for hours about jail expenses, including a roughly $1.7 million annual expense on outside legal fees for one firm - anarrangement Gusman said has been in effect since before he was elected in 2004.
Jail overhauls, expected by some estimates to cost as much as $22 million a year,are required under an agreement known as a consent decree that Gusman reached late last year with inmates’ lawyers and the U.S. Justice Department.
Africk approved the pact in June, over the objections, based on costs, from Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration.
Gusman runs the jail, and the city provides funding. Landrieu has said the jail agreement, together with a separate court-backed overhaul plan for the Police Department, could result in the cash-strapped city having to cut services and lay off workers.
Africk set a hearing for Wednesday after saying he was irritated with the sheriff’s office for failing - until just before the June 24 hearing began - to turn over projected revenue and expenditure figures for this year.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 07/21/2013