Susan Hutson is an American lawyer who has been the Sheriff of New Orleans, Louisiana, since May 2, 2022. A Democrat, Hutson is the first woman to hold the office.[1] Before becoming Sheriff, she worked in criminal justice reform and police oversight.
Susan Hutson | |
|---|---|
| Orleans Parish Sheriff | |
| Assumed office May 2, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Marlin Gusman |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania, Tulane Law School |
| Website | Official website |
Early life and education
editHutson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and raised in Houston, Texas.[2] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989 and Tulane Law School in 1992.[3][4]
Career
editPolice oversight
editFor much of her career, Hutson worked in police oversight in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas.[5] This culminated in her becoming the assistant inspector general for the Los Angeles Police Department from 2007 to 2010.[6] In 2010, she became the independent police monitor for the New Orleans Police Department, a position established after a successful referendum in 2008.[7] She resigned from that position in 2021 after announcing her run for sheriff.[8]
Hutson was also the president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, a citizen police oversight organization created in 2016.[9] She also resigned from this position after announcing her run for sheriff.[10]
Election as Sheriff
editIn April 2021, Hutson announced she would run for Orleans Parish Sheriff against longtime Sheriff Marlin Gusman, who had held the position since 2004, in the elections to be held that November.[11] A progressive, she focused her campaign on criminal justice reform and advocated against plans to expand the Orleans Parish jail.[12] She was endorsed by New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams.[13] Hutson also received a donation of $200,000 from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which was more than all of her other donations combined.[14]
On November 13, Hutson placed second in the nonpartisan primary election, 13 points behind Gusman.[15] Because Gusman failed to earn 50% of the vote, he and Hutson advanced to the general election.[16] On December 11, Hutson won with 53% of the vote.[17]
Tenure
editHutson was sworn in on May 2, 2022, becoming the first female Sheriff of New Orleans and the first Black female sheriff in Louisiana.[18]
In August 2022, inmates at the Orleans Parish jail barricaded themselves inside a pod and demanded better conditions, including better food and medicine, more adequate entertainment, and a washer and dryer.[19] After multiple days, a sprinkler system was activated inside the pod, and Hutson instructed personnel to break in, ending the standoff.[20] None of the prisoners’ demands was considered.[21]
In April 2023, Hutson proposed a ballot measure that would have generated $11.7 million a year for the sheriff’s office by increasing property taxes.[22] The measure failed with 91% of voters rejecting it.[23]
In July 2023, federal jail monitors found that jail conditions, which started falling in 2020 under Gusman, had continued to decline under Hutson.[24] The report stated that despite cooperation from Hutson, conditions did not improve, with drug smuggling and frequent violence among inmates.[25] It attributed this decline to a lack of resources and staff.[26]
Hutson’s opposition to the expansion of the Orleans Parish jail, on which she centered her campaign, was ultimately unsuccessful after a federal judge in 2023 denied Hutson’s motion and ordered the city to begin construction.[27] Hutson denounced the decision but nonetheless vowed to follow it.[28]
Controversies
editIn March 2023, Hutson fired four high-ranking officials from the sheriff’s office, saying the office was going through "organizational restructuring".[29] One of the officials, CFO David Trautenberg, claimed in a lawsuit that he was fired for opening an internal financial investigation into alleged "misuse of public funds".[30] It was reported that the funds Trautenberg referred to, nearly $20,000 of taxpayer money, were spent for senior staff to stay in high-end hotel rooms during Mardi Gras season, most of which reportedly remained unoccupied.[31] Hutson said there was nothing irregular about the expenditure, saying it was "money well spent".[32]
After the 2023 Mardi Gras season, it was reported that Hutson overpaid deputies who took on additional duties during the celebrations.[33] According to the inspector general of New Orleans, the payments violated state and federal law.[34]
Electoral history
editOrleans Parish Sheriff, 2021
editNonpartisan primary election, November 13, 2021
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlin Gusman (incumbent) | Democratic | 35,903 (47.7%) | Runoff |
| Susan Hutson | Democratic | 26,666 (35.4%) | Runoff |
| Christopher Williams | Democratic | 6,651 (8.8%) | Defeated |
| Janet Hayes | No party | 3,230 (4.3%) | Defeated |
| Quentin Brown | Independent | 2,791 (3.7%) | Defeated |
General election, December 11, 2021
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susan Hutson | Democratic | 31,975 (53.3%) | Elected |
| Marlin Gusman (incumbent) | Democratic | 27,987 (46.7%) | Defeated |
References
edit- ^ "'We're making history': Susan Hutson becomes first woman to serve as Orleans Parish Sheriff". NOLA.com. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "A new sheriff in Town? Susan Hutson, longtime NOPD monitor, to run against Marlin Gusman". NOLA.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "About Sheriff Susan Hutson". Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ "A new sheriff in Town? Susan Hutson, longtime NOPD monitor, to run against Marlin Gusman". NOLA.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Susan Hutson sworn in as Sheriff". The Lens. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "A new sheriff in Town? Susan Hutson, longtime NOPD monitor, to run against Marlin Gusman". NOLA.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "The first female sheriff of Orleans Parish is also the first Black woman to hold the job in Louisiana". CNN. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Susan Hutson Sworn in as Sheriff". Nola.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "What can East Lansing expect from its police oversight commission?". Fox 47. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "A Susan Hutson win could give New Orleans — and the U.S. — its 1st progressive sheriff". WWNO. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Independent police monitor Susan Hutson running for Orleans sheriff". WDSU News. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "The first female sheriff of Orleans Parish is also the first Black woman to hold the job in Louisiana". CNN. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Sheriff candidate Susan Hutson gets key endorsement from New Orleans DA Jason Williams". WWNO. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Facebook's Zuckerberg donates $200,000 to unseat New Orleans sheriff". The Tulane Hullabaloo. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "See the six New Orleans races that are headed to a runoff this December". WWNO. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Sheriff's race against incumbent Marlin Gusman, Susan Hutson goes to runoff". WWNO. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Susan Hutson defeats long-time Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman". WWL. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "Susan Hutson Sworn in as Sheriff". Nola.com. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "New Orleans prisoner barricade protest ends, Louisiana authorities say". Fox News. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "WGNO FIRST LOOK: A closer look into the Orleans Justice Center after inmate protest ends when deputies storm jail". WGNO. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "WGNO FIRST LOOK: A closer look into the Orleans Justice Center after inmate protest ends when deputies storm jail". WGNO. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Orleans election result shows Sheriff Hutson failed to make her case for tax hike, analyst says". Fox 8. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Orleans election result shows Sheriff Hutson failed to make her case for tax hike, analyst says". Fox 8. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Conditions backslid for first part of Sheriff Hutson's tenure over New Orleans jail, monitors find". The Lens. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Conditions backslid for first part of Sheriff Hutson's tenure over New Orleans jail, monitors find". The Lens. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Conditions backslid for first part of Sheriff Hutson's tenure over New Orleans jail, monitors find". The Lens. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Sheriff Hutson's opposition to Orleans jail expansion has 'reached finish line,' federal judge says". Fox 8. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Sheriff Hutson's opposition to Orleans jail expansion has 'reached finish line,' federal judge says". Fox 8. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Ousted CFO says he was fired by Sheriff Hutson after questioning OPSO's Carnival hotel spending". Fox 8. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Former employee files federal lawsuit against Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson". WWL. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Sheriff Hutson restructuring executive leadership staff, former OPSO staff fire back". WDSU News. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Former employee files federal lawsuit against Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson". WWL. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "OIG audit finds Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office overpaid deputies for assisting NOPD last Carnival season". WDSU News. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Did Sheriff Hutson pay deputies more than $100 per hour during 2023 Carnival season? An IG report claims she did". WWL. Retrieved 18 April 2024.