Mayor-elect Cantrell fights bid by Jeff Landry's office to recuse Orleans judges in credit card

Mayor-elect Cantrell fights bid by Jeff Landry's office to recuse Orleans judges in credit card probe

An attorney for New Orleans Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell is fighting a bid by Attorney General Jeff Landry's office to recuse all 12 judges of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court from its investigation into her credit-card activity as a councilwoman.

Cantrell has hired a legal heavy hitter, attorney Billy Gibbens, a former federal prosecutor who has defended several high-profile criminal defendants and government targets.

Gibbens recently filed an opposition to Landry's motion, which asks for the entire court to back away from the matter and let the Louisiana Supreme Court appoint a special ad hoc judge to take it over, according to an order that Judge Laurie White signed Monday.

State prosecutors claim none of the dozen judges at Criminal District Court can fairly oversee the investigation, nevermind any criminal case that might erupt from it. They are expected to spell out their argument Friday morning at a hearing set by White, the court's chief judge.

Read more: http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_00749ada-dae3-11e7-b8ed-6b5d7da514d2.html