Letten's legacy

Heckuva job

Five former New Orleans police officers involved in the Danziger Bridge shootings after Hurricane Katrina, or the coverup that followed, pleaded guilty in federal court in New Orleans on Wednesday, taking reduced sentences and avoiding another trial after their previous convictions were thrown out.

The plea deals brought an end to a case that has stretched on for more than a decade and come to symbolize the chaos and government negligence that followed the storm.

The former officers received dramatically shorter prison terms than they did after a federal jury convicted them on numerous charges in 2011. The original sentences ranged from six years to 65. Those read out in court on Wednesday ranged from 3 years to 12.

The original convictions were tossed out in 2013 by U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt over the online commenting scandal that by then had engulfed the office of former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

Between this and Fred Heebe still walking around free, I'd say the US Attorney's office has done a bang up job of protecting the powerful around here.  Ray Nagin went to jail for 10 years, though. So I guess we still get to be smug.