Jason Williams (politician)

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.

Jason Williams
Williams in 2018
District Attorney of New Orleans
Assumed office
January 11, 2021 (2021-January-11)
Preceded byLeon Cannizzaro
Member of the
New Orleans City Council
At-large – Division 2
In office
March 15, 2014 (2014-March-15) – January 11, 2021
Preceded byJackie Clarkson
Succeeded byDonna Glapion[lower-alpha 1]
Personal details
Born
Jason Rogers Williams

(1972-11-02) November 2, 1972
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Marcell Williams
Children3
Residence(s)New Orleans, Louisiana
Alma materTulane University
Tulane Law School
ProfessionAttorney

Williams is facing federal charges of tax fraud and is pending trial.

Background

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. 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]

Tax fraud charges

In June 2020, during his campaign for district attorney, Williams was charged with 11 counts of federal tax fraud.[3] Williams claims that he is innocent.[3] His trial was set by U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman for January 2022,[4] but it has been delayed due to an appeal made to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[5]

Political career

In 2003 he was appointed Pro Tempore at Criminal District Court, by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

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

He served as the At-large Division 2 member of the New Orleans City Council from his swearing in on March 15, 2014[6][7] till 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.[8][9]

In 2018, Williams announced he would be a candidate in the 2020 Orleans Parish district attorney election.[10] Williams campaigned on massive reforms to the district attorney's office, which has been plagued with allegations of prosecutorial overreach. His campaign was characterized as progressive and part of a movement of progressive reforms in district attorney positions around the United States.[11] 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.[12][13][14]

Following backlash from a sharp rise in 701 release cases[15] and an increase in related crimes such as car jackings,[16] public calls for Williams resignation have been made.[17] As of February 10 2022, Williams has not stepped 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.[18]

Williams is a member of the Democratic Party.

Election history
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

Notes
  1. Following Williams resignation from the council, the seat remained vacant until Glapion filled the seat on January 28, 2021.

References
  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. JOHN SIMERMAN. "As Jason Williams' tax trial looms, specter of conviction hangs over Orleans Parish DA race". NOLA.com. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  4. 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.
  5. Team, WDSU Digital (21 January 2022). "Trial for Orleans Parish DA Jason Williams delayed". WDSU. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  6. "Bio". council.nola.gov.
  7. "Jason Williams". Ballotpedia.
  8. Stein, Michael Isaac (7 January 2021). "What's next for DA-elect Williams' City Council seat?". The Lens. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  9. "MEET THE COUNCIL | AT-LARGE | DONNA GLAPION". council.nola.gov. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  10. jsimerman@theadvocate.com, JOHN SIMERMAN. "New Orleans council president Jason Williams 'absolutely' running for DA in 2020, he says". NOLA.com. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  11. 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.
  12. "Jason Williams wins New Orleans DA race, promising new era in prosecutor's office". Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  13. Vidal, Olivia. "District Attorney-elect Jason Williams speaks after winning election". www.fox8live.com. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  14. "Jason Williams (Louisiana)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  15. "Release of nearly 150 ordered from N.O. Jail since last January after charges not filed in time". 4 February 2022.
  16. "Carjackings almost triple in New Orleans compared to this time last year".
  17. "Petition calls for the resignation of Orleans DA Jason Williams". 12 February 2022.
  18. "'We are owning it': Major leadership shake up at DA's office, apology for handling of 701 cases".
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