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. ²

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. ³

Finances

In 2022, Court Watch Nola received $598,582 in contributions, ⁴ $597,745 in total revenue, ⁵ incurred $710,316 in total expenses, ⁶ and held $624,071 in net assets. ⁷

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. ⁸

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. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰

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. ¹¹

In 2021, Court Watch Nola issued a negative review of Judge Benedict Willard (D). ¹² The critique included a finding that there were “zero positive comments” reported from the organization’s court watchers, ¹³ refusing to wear a mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ¹⁴ and refusal to admit the organization’s court watchers into public hearings held over Zoom. ¹⁵

Leadership

Darren Browder is the executive director of Nola Court Watch. ¹⁶ Prior to leading the organization, Browder was the director of strategic initiatives at Nola Court Watch. ¹⁷ Before joining Nola Court Watch, Browder was a law clerk for the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Orleans Parish District. ¹⁸

The prior CEO of Nola Court Watch, Simone Levine, was elected in 2023 as criminal district court judge within the Louisiana court system. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰

1. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
2. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
3. “Our History.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/about-us/
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 8. 2022.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 12. 2022.
6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 18. 2022.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Court Watch Nola. Part I, Line 22. 2022.
8. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
9. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
10.  “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
11. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
12. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
13. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
14. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
15. “2021 Annual Report.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CWN_2021_Annual_Report.pdf
16. “Our History.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/our-team/
17.  “Our History.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/our-team/
18. “Our History.” Court Watch Nola. https://www.courtwatchnola.org/our-team/
19. “Simone Levine.” Ballotpedia. https://ballotpedia.org/Simone_Levine
20. 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