Plantiffs seize District Attorney's assets

Section: SoundOFF

AP

Six bank accounts belonging to the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office were frozen Thursday by a court order seeking payment for the $3.4 million judgment brought on by former DA Eddie Jordan's firing of scores of white employees in 2003.
STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL DEMOCKERKirk Reasonover, left, the attorney for the New Orleans District Attorney's Office, listens as acting District Attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson addresses questions outside the Amoco Building where the office is housed.

Clement Donelon, lead attorney for the 43 fired workers who successfully sued Jordan for employment discrimination, said his clients have yet to receive any money from the accounts. He said the accounts may include payroll money, but he did not know how much money in total was frozen. The accounts do not, however, include child support funds collected by the DA's office, he said.

Jordan resigned Oct. 31 in response to criticism over having brought on the federal lawsuit. Jordan authorized a $300,000 payment before leaving office -- the lone payment made on the original $3.7 million award.

He was replaced by longtime staff attorney Keva Landrum-Johnson. The DA's office was looking into the garnishment Thursday.

"We're still waiting on a response from our people to see what is going on," said spokesman Dalton Savwoir.