Judge Keva Landrum-Johnson Makes History
Landrum-Johnson will serve as Chief Judge for a two-year term, during which she will oversee all administrative functions of the court and serve as an ex officio member on each committee of the court. Additionally, Chief Judge Landrum-Johnson will continue to preside over criminal proceedings in Section E to which she is elected.
Chief Judge Landrum-Johnson said, “Orleans Parish Criminal District Court is one of the most significant institutions in the City of New Orleans, and I am honored to have earned the trust and confidence of my colleagues to lead in this capacity. My priorities as Chief Judge are to ensure the court operates efficiently and to provide vision and leadership on behalf of the citizens of New Orleans as well as the court’s judiciary, administration and staff.”
Chief Judge-Landrum Johnson will lead the court with more than 20 years of experience in law and criminal justice. She was first elected to serve at criminal court in 2008, and was re-elected to a second term in 2015. In both instances, she was elected without opposition.
Prior to being elected to the bench, Chief Judge Landrum-Johnson made history as the first female District Attorney for the State of Louisiana when she served as Orleans Parish District Attorney from October 2007 until her election as judge. In all, Chief Landrum-Johnson served a 10-year tenure with the district attorney’s office, providing leadership as an assistant district attorney, a homicide and sex crimes screener, chief of the juvenile division, chief of the screening division and interim first assistant district attorney, respectively. She also taught criminal law at Southern University at New Orleans.
A native of New Orleans, Chief Judge Keva Landrum-Johnson earned a juris doctorate from Tulane Law School. She obtained a bachelor’s in political science from Washington University in St. Louis and is a graduate of Ursuline Academy.
NOPD Chief Selected for Public Safety Summit
The Harvard Public Safety Summit is an annual, invitation-only event designed to share strategies for utilizing technology, and to share leadership insights on improving departmental philosophy.
Chief Harrison was invited by the Harvard University faculty to assist and become a member of the ELG, which is a small group of handpicked officials identified as key leaders in public safety and policing throughout the nation.
The summit – which attracts national and international law enforcement personnel – invites roughly 50 chiefs, sheriffs and commissioners throughout the country to interact and learn from members of the ELG.
The ELG will be responsible for sharing their thoughts, ideas and opportunities in public safety all while helping with identifying cases and topics that should be included during the event.
As a part of the ELG, Harrison will be teaching alongside police chiefs from Washington D.C. and Houston, as well as with crime strategists from the New York Police Department.
The three-day summit will be held in April of 2018 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
