NEW ORLEANS, LA – Judge Nandi Campbell held a somber press briefing Wednesday to express deep regret over what she called a “lapse in compassion” that resulted in 7% of defendants in her courtroom being found guilty.
“I go home at night thinking about the ones I failed,” she said tearfully. “Those seven out of every hundred who didn’t walk free… it keeps me up.”
The judge, who boasts a 93% acquittal rate for violent offenders, said she now realizes she may have been too influenced by “outdated concepts like evidence and public safety.”
“My courtroom should be a place of healing, not judgment,” Campbell insisted. “Unfortunately, some prosecutors snuck in facts and witnesses that swayed the process.”
To course correct, she announced plans for a “Restorative Acquittal Initiative,” in which even confessed criminals will receive certificates of resilience.
“I will not rest,” she vowed, “until every defendant has the same opportunity to not be held responsible for anything—ever.”
