September 2020 Press Releases

Due to the continued prevalence of Covid-19 in New Orleans and Louisiana, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office will remain closed to the public indefinitely, DA Leon Cannizzaro announced Sunday (Sept. 27). The safety protocol will not be re-evaluated until after the City of New Orleans moves into Phase 3 of re-opening, and any changes will be announced to the…

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office on Thursday (Sept. 24) secured a murder indictment against a New Orleans man accused of gunning down a paroled Central City gang figure on this past New Year’s Day. Jermal Williams was charged with the second-degree murder of 45-year-old Chris “Boogie” McCann, obstructing justice in a homicide investigation and with being a felon in possession…

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office on Thursday (Sept. 24) secured a murder indictment against a New Orleans man accused of a fatal shooting in the St. Claude neighborhood in January. Phillip Pleasant is charged with the second-degree murder of 25-year-old Alexander Hall. Pleasant also was charged with obstructing justice in a homicide investigation and with being a felon in possession…

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office announced Monday (Sept. 21) that it has secured an indictment charging a New Orleans man with rape and other sex crimes against two juvenile victims left sometimes in his care several years ago. Anderson Stevenson was charged with aggravated rape, two counts of forcible rape, two counts of oral sexual battery, two counts of indecent…

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office on Wednesday (Sept. 16) secured a manslaughter conviction against Devaughn Staes, the first of two defendants accused of second-degree murder in the October 2018 shooting death of a man slain in New Orleans’ Central Business District. Staes, 21, was convicted of the lesser charge in a judge trial with Criminal District Court Judge Benedict Willard…

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office on Thursday (Sept. 10) secured first-degree murder indictments against two Terrytown brothers accused of a triple-shooting in Algiers four months ago that took the lives of two siblings, one of them a 3-year-old boy. Rodney and Ronjae Steadman (from left, above) each was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree…

District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro’s office on Thursday (Sept. 3) secured a murder indictment against a New Orleans woman accused of killing a French Quarter tourist by deliberately striking her with her car in March. Asrielle Wise was charged with the second-degree murder of Amber Mello and with obstructing justice in a homicide investigation in the two-count indictment handed up by…