New Orleans sheriff indicted on 30 counts just days before term ends
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson was indicted on 30 counts including malfeasance and payroll fraud, linked to a major jail escape on May 10, 2025, as part of a state investigation led by Attorney General Liz Murrill.
- Hutson’s chief financial officer, Bianka Brown, faces 20 felony counts including malfeasance and obstruction of justice; both were ordered to surrender passports and remain in Louisiana.
- The indictment follows controversies during Hutson’s tenure, such as staffing scandals and suspicious overpayments flagged by state auditors totaling nearly $260,000.
- The mass jailbreak involved 10 inmates escaping, with all recaptured by October 2025; Hutson lost her re-election bid shortly after the incident.
- Incoming sheriff Michelle Woodfork has committed to improving jail security, financial oversight, and transparency, with ongoing discussions with the state attorney general’s office.
