Court Watch Nola

Court Watch Nola is a left-of-center watchdog organization that documents criminal judgment and bail determinations in state criminal courts in New Orleans, Louisiana, including average monthly bail rates. 1 Court Watch Nola also criticizes New Orleans prosecutors for seeking the full extent of punishment for criminal activity under the law and judges for sentencing individuals to full legal penalties and implementing what the organization considers to be excessive bail. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Criminal Justice Policy
Website: www.courtwatchnola.org
Formation:

2007

Executive Director:

Darren Browder

Location: New Orleans, LA View on map
Tax ID: 33-1190644
Most Recent Filing: 2023
Budget (2023): Assets: $173,380 Revenue: $114,762 Expenses: $585,862

Contents

    Background

    Nola Court Watch was founded in 2007 as a joint effort of the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Common Good, and Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans. 2

    Finances

    In 2022, Court Watch Nola received $598,582 in contributions, 3 $597,745 in total revenue, 4 incurred $710,316 in total expenses, 5 and held $624,071 in net assets. 6

    Activities

    Bail Watch

    One of Court Watch Nola’s primary functions is to measure the average monthly and yearly rate at which bail is set by judges within the New Orleans criminal court system. 1

    According to Court Watch Nola’s records, in 2021 the court system assigned $43,947,008 in bail, averaging at $13,602 for each bail assignment. 1 The organization found that 83.4% of all defendants in the New Orleans criminal court system were Black, and claims that the bail system is hence in effect  racist and a criminalization of poverty as such individuals have not yet been tried in court and are presumed innocent. 1

    Criticism of Judges

    Court Watch Nola provides analysis on individual judges in the New Orleans criminal court system, this includes rankings based on surveys and qualitative reviews. 1

    In 2021, Court Watch Nola issued a negative review of Judge Benedict Willard (D). 1 The critique included a finding that there were “zero positive comments” reported from the organization’s court watchers, 1 refusing to wear a mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 1 and refusal to admit the organization’s court watchers into public hearings held over Zoom. 1

    Leadership

    Darren Browder is the executive director of Nola Court Watch. 7 Prior to leading the organization, Browder was the director of strategic initiatives at Nola Court Watch. 7 Before joining Nola Court Watch, Browder was a law clerk for the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Orleans Parish District. 7

    The prior CEO of Nola Court Watch, Simone Levine, was elected in 2023 as criminal district court judge within the Louisiana court system. 8 Levine described the motivation behind Nola Court Watch as not merely criticism and review of judges, but also public defenders, prosecutors, and defense attorneys in the Louisiana criminal court system. 9

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2023 $173,380 $114,762 $585,862 View
    2022 $653,295 $495,354 $578,159 View
    2021 $720,122 $597,745 $710,316 View
    2020 $932,349 $1,026,709 $614,172 View
    2019 $435,491 $520,474 $487,482 View

    Prior year filings: 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 6

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Darrin BrowderEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$71,014

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $3,458,495
    • Number of Grants: 144
    • Number of Funders: 35

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $250,0002021 Coefficient GivingCWN observes and collects data on practices used in New Orleans courtrooms and builds public support for criminal justice reform
    $250,0002021 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $125,0002022 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $125,0002022 Silicon Valley Community FoundationPublic Safety
    $80,0002024 American Endowment FoundationGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $53,0002024 PROTEUS FUND INCGENERAL SUPPORT
    $50,0002023 PROTEUS FUND INCDEMOCRACY
    $50,0002022 Baptist Community MinistriesRIGHT TO COUNSEL ASSESSMENT & IMPLEMENTATION
    $50,0002021 Baptist Community MinistriesREDUCING RECIDIVISM
    $50,0002020 Baptist Community MinistriesNEW ORLEANS MUNICIPAL COURT RIGHT TO COUNSEL ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
    $47,5002023 Baptist Community MinistriesNEW ORLEANS MUNICIPAL COURT RIGHT TO COUNSEL ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
    $40,0002021 Seadream Family Foundation IncHOLDING THE LEGAL SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE
    $35,0002024 BOREALIS PHILANTHROPYTO SUPPORT THE WORK OF CT WATCH NOLA
    $35,0002020 TIDES FOUNDATIONEQUALITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
    $35,0002020 Coefficient GivingTo support coordination of a coalition of community groups working on criminal justice reform in New Orleans. CWN plans to use these funds to continue to support administration, coordination, and logistics work to collaborate with other local organizations to develop and publicize shared positions on key reforms
    $35,0002020 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $30,0002020 The Mary Freeman Wisdom Foundation C/o Andrew B WisdomCRIMINAL COURT ETHICS & FAIRNESS
    $30,0002020 PROTEUS FUND INCDEMOCRACY
    $20,0002023 New Orleans Community Support FoundationADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
    $20,0002021 Eugenie & Joseph Jones Family FoundationTo fulfill exempt purpose
    $20,0002020 Eugenie & Joseph Jones Family FoundationTo fulfill exempt purpose
    $15,1712020 The Greater New Orleans FoundationPUBLIC/SOCIETY BENEFIT
    $15,0002021 The Mary Freeman Wisdom Foundation C/o Andrew B WisdomCRIMINAL COURT ETHICS & FAIRNESS
    $15,0002020 Coefficient GivingCWN observes and collects data on practices used in New Orleans courtrooms, and is advocating for changes to arrest and detention practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. It intends to use this funding to maintain its operations during the pandemic and to provide stipends to staff and interns
    $15,0002020 PROTEUS FUND INCDEMOCRACY

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $60,000
    • Number of Grants: 2
    • Number of Recipients: 2

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $30,0002022 University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolGENERAL SUPPORT
    $30,0002020 University of PennsylvaniaTO SUPPORT THE QUATTRONE CENTER FOR THE FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE PROGRAM.

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    References

    1. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
    2. “Our History.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/about-us/
    3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 8. 2022.
    4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 12. 2022.
    5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 18. 2022.
    6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 22. 2022.
    7. “Our History.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/our-team/
    8. “Simone Levine.” Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Simone_Levine
    9. Levine, Simone. “Community Demand for Change and Accountability: A History of Court Watch NOLA, New Orleans’ Community Courtwatching  Program.” Volume 42, Issue 1. New England Public Policy Journal. March 21, 2020.  https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1777&context=nejpp