Harry Connick Sr., longtime New Orleans district attorney and singer’s dad, dies at 97

msn.com ^ | Jan. 25, 2024 | AP

[stylecouncilor]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Harry Connick Sr., who was New Orleans’ district attorney for three decades and later faced allegations that his staff sometimes held back evidence that could have helped defendants, died Thursday at age 97.

Connick died peacefully at his home in New Orleans with his wife, Londa, and children — Suzanna and musician and actor Harry Connick Jr. — by his side, according to an obituary distributed by Harry Connick Jr.'s publicist. A cause of death was not provided.

Connick dethroned an incumbent prosecutor, Jim Garrison, in a 1973 election. He won reelection four times, and successfully built biracial support as the city’s political power base shifted to African Americans.

Connick remained undefeated, and retired in 2003. But he was later dogged by questions about whether his office withheld evidence that favored defendants. The issue came to the forefront with a 2011 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit filed by John Thompson, who was exonerated after 14 years on Louisiana's death row for a killing he didn't commit.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court overturned a $14 million award for Thompson, ruling that the New Orleans district attorney’s office shouldn’t be punished for not specifically training prosecutors on their obligations to share evidence that could prove a defendant’s innocence. In a scathing dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg decried “Connick’s deliberately indifferent attitude.”

[stylecouncilor]

I didn't know anything about Sr., but I like Jr.'s music. Looks like he had a very interesting and controversial career.

[plain talk]

Wow he made it to 97. RIP

[EEGator]

Jr was good in Copycat with Sigourney Weaver.

RIP to his father.

[x]

Was it the vaxx or is this the latest mysterious Kennedy assassination death?

RIP

[Albion Wilde]

Senior and Junior:

RIP, Senior. Condolences, Junior and family.

[PAR35]

Garrison was best known for trying to get to the truth about the Kennedy assassination - that’s why he had to be replaced by a team player. They tried to frame Garrison on bribery charges and used that to defeat him in the election.

Connick did what he was put in office to do.

[stylecouncilor]

That was a good movie.

[EEGator]

I actually just put it on. I haven’t seen it in years.

[Rockingham]

To win the DA seat, Connick Sr. defeated Jim Garrison, whose office did a poor job and who personally showed signs of being under the influence of organized crime. Connick ran a good DA office, notwithstanding defense attorney complaints of Brady violations. As it happens, such complaints are common but rarely amount to anything when examined on the merits.

[LibertarianLiz]

A cause of death was not provided.

He was 97!